gIRlfRIendS
by Nicrafetix
Summary: Girlfriends are tricky creatures striving to get noticed, striving to make you feel better, striving to get you with your best friend? AkuRoku Soriku Zemyx
1. First Days & Seeing Moles

gIRlfRIendS

**Author's Note: **Wow, I'm actually going through all the chapters of this and editing them/getting rid of all the really annoying mistakes/improving it. Oh yes. It's basically just an excuse to read it and lol and all the mistakes... and the actual story. Which I will be told off for because you should never laugh at your own jokes. Gah.

_x-o-Chapter One-o-x_

Millbrook High took great pride on its appearance and its qualities. It offered a world of opportunities for its students and staff alike. People would always come back after graduating just to say something along the lines of, "Oh, I just came in to say... thank you. Thank you _so much_ for all the years I spent here. I'll never forget them, and I'll make sure that this place has a special something in return." And then they hang a pretty wreathe up in appreciation, and then they trundle off back to their work… in McDonalds.

Roxas was new to this school. And, being a sophomore didn't really make it any better. To be quite honest, it kind of made it worse. He didn't have any friends here, except for his two cousins. He didn't even know if he could call _them_ friends – he had just known them for a long time, and now happened to be half-cousin/half-brother. Which was odd.

Hell, his parents dying two weeks ago was odd.

He suddenly realised that Demyx and Sora were laughing. A little voice in the back of his head urged him to do the same. Forced laughter split from his usually closed mouth. Sora grinned like a dufus at him.

Demyx ruffled his younger brother's hair, and then proceeded to do the same to Roxas, despite the fact that Roxas was not keen on this sensation. Then the older boy ran off with some other senior guys. Roxas scowled, while Sora looked at the blonde's timetable.

"So, whatcha got first?" he asked, grinning like one of those scary clowns they have at fairs that make all the little kids cry. He pondered over the sheet, "Hmn… wait. You've got German? Rox, that sucks! I told you to go for French, then we'd be in the same class!"

"Well, I really don't like French. Sorry, So."

Sora let out a massively long sigh. Before scratching his cheek and shrugging, "Ah well, whatever you want, but I warn you – your teacher has a great big mole right on the end of her nose, and hair is like, sprouting off the top of it and I was so grossed out when I saw it, and I was al-"

"Sora, I don't care. As long as it's not French."

Sora shrugged, and walked off. "Well… What ever floats your boat…" he muttered as he left.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. _Whatever floats your boat,_ _indeed._

He reached out towards his locker, and twisted the dial, making a pleasing click-click-click sound. That was one good think, his locker worked. Demyx had warned him previously that they had a tendency to spring open and smack you in the face if you weren't careful.

Before Roxas could actually put his lunchbox in his locker, the warning bell rang, causing him to drop the box. He winced, and gingerly picked his lunch up, brushing off any bits of dust it had picked up.

He ran a hand through his hair, deciding that Millbrook High was the worst school he had ever been to.

He grabbed his satchel, and ran to his first lesson. Before realising he had no idea where the hell his first lesson actually was.

-x-X-x-

"Hey, Sora!"

The brunette turned around to see Tidus waving at him like an idiot. Riku stood next to Sora and was watching Tidus, a perfect smile on his face. Perfect in Sora's opinion anyway.

He ran over to them excitedly.

"Oh my god! I haven't seen you for ages!"

This was true. He'd been hanging around with Roxas for the last few days because, being the genius he was, Sora could tell he needed someone around.

He pulled them both into a tight hug. Tidus threw his arms around them both and Riku gagged. Maybe they were hugging a little too tightly.

Eventually Tidus released him and Riku.

Tidus bounced around happily and Riku stood in his usual cool way. And yes. As always, he did look cool.

Sora had always admired Riku. He was the coolest person he knew. They'd been friends for as long as he could remember, ever since kindergarten. Sora had found him kicking sand at one of the smaller kids, and had told him to stop, and they just… became friends, as you do.

But, It's okay to admire your best friend… right?

Of course you could admire your best friend! Of course you could... but there was a little voice in the back of Sora's head telling him that maybe it was more than admiration. Maybe Sora had finally found his first real crush! But, wait - he shouldn't get so excited. He wasn't GAY? Gay? Pfft. Sora? No.

Or was he? He'd always wondered why Kairi made sure he knew how to put on make-up. Not that he ever _wore_ it.

It didn't matter anyway, because he knew that Riku could never like him in that way.

Ah, Riku. Quite possibly the hottest guy in school - always has a band of fan girls (and boys, much to Sora's disgust) following him around. Riku always told Sora that really they were after the brunette, not the silvery haired boy. But, Riku was always trying to make Sora feel better, considering that nowadays all Sora did was talk to Roxas, shout at Demyx (which was very odd) and play video games.

So, what would Riku want with Sora?

Especially when he had Kairi.

As if on cue, Kairi walked up to the group.

"Hey guys! Did you have a good summer?" She asked warmly, as she slipped her hand into Riku's. Sora could have sworn he saw a flicker of annoyance flash across Riku's face, but it vanished so quickly Sora decided he must have imagined it.

"Um… Yeah! Just great, you?" Sora replied, flashing her a brief smile before pretending to be trying to pick a bit of gum off the floor with the toe of his shoe.

"Yeah! I had a great time! I only got back from holiday so I spent all my time with my Riku!" she laughed. "I tried to get hold of you Sora but you said you were busy."

Sora had to restrain himself from throttling her. He knew she was just messing around. Kairi was his other best friend, equal to Riku. Well, she had been, before he had taken to ignoring her calls. She didn't know how he felt about Riku. If she did, he doubted there would be any question in her actions.

"_Your _Riku! Jeez! You're such a couple now!" Sora snapped angrily, without realising what he had said, Kairi had that sort of look like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck, and Riku was blinking. A couple of seconds later the brunette shook his head, realising what he had just said and scratched his cheek, "Joking! Like I'd ever say something like that, huh!" He proceeded to walk over and in between them, draping his arms round both their shoulders.

Kairi seemed to have accepted Sora's joke and was busy twittering on about how they never get to see each other any more. Sora was nodding to her to show that he was listening, but he could notice in the background, Riku was watching him suspiciously. Maybe he'd seen through Sora's finishing note.

Well, At least he was getting the boy's attention.

-x-X-x-

Axel leant against his locker, checking his crisp timetable. It told him that he had German next. And, as before, he had it with Old Mrs. Mole-head. He shuddered. Just the sight of her made him cringe. She was an old mole. Who could see. That was it; Axel had finally found out the secret she'd been hiding for years and years. She was actually a mole in disguise, but she could see so she had to run away from her clan, as they'd kick her out if they knew she could see.

Or something like that.

As he walked through school (or CrapHole as he affectionately nicknamed it) people waved to him, and girls swooned at the sight of him. He hoped this year would be as entertaining as last year, but having German without Demyx didn't sounded like a very uninteresting start.

As soon as he reached the classroom he took his usual spot, right at the very back, where Ol' Missus Mole-Head wouldn't notice him, if he did something... inappropriate. Like throw gum at someone's head, or listened to his I-Pod.

He slumped down in his chair, resting his muddy boots on top of the table. He surveyed his surroundings. They had repainted the room. It was a horrid sick colour, tainted with orange. It felt the same, on how you feel when you step in a really stuffy car and decide that this time, this car is the one that will make you barf.

His eyes wandered the seemingly full up room, looking out for any interesting faces, any people he recognised. He found a grand total of none.

And suddenly the bell went off, and Ol' Mole-Head came in with that expression on her face that just reads 'Get-in-any-later-than-this-and-you're-fucked-my-friend'.

She swept her way through the desks to the front of the room.

"Guten Morgan, Klasse!" She barked, making several girls squeal in fright.

"Nein!" She yelled, slamming a hand down on one of the desks. The unfortunate occupants of that desk nearly fell out of their chairs. "When I say 'Guten Morgan, Klasse!' you reply: 'Guten Morgan, Frau Molesworth!' let's try again!

GUTEN MORGAN, KLASSE!"

"Guten Morgan, Frau Molesworth." Came the weak reply.

The teacher sighed in defeat.

"Fine. Workbooks. Page one, GET ON WITH IT!"

From the safety of the back row, Axel let out a snort and proceeded to take out his workbook from his satchel and flipped to the front page.


	2. Pity & Tardiness

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gIRlfRIendS

**Author's Note: **The edited version of chapter two. I couldn't _believe_ how many mistakes i found in this chapter. It was really quite embarrassing. Anyhoo, enjoy. (:

_-x-o-Chapter Two-o-x-_

Axel had never realised how easy German was. Sure, he had already done this work – but his time had been wasted, spending too much time joking and laughing with Demyx. Ah, how he knew he would miss those days with Dem, and Larx and Marly. Well, not particularly Marly. Marly scared him somewhat. The kid's voice was too deep for his personality. _Wayyy_ too deep.

As he finished his last question, there was a crash and in came an out-of-breath boy with hair that looked like someone with gel on their hand and just gone and shook his head up so badly, they would have been bald had they not had such thick hair. His big blue eyes held concern and worry. He wiped an arm over his face, and tried to find an empty seat.

"Excuse me, young lad. But, I don't take nicely to boys just **butting** into my lessons! Could you kindly explain yourself, please?"

Roxas looked with horror at the teacher. What was he supposed to say? His mouth opened and closed. Like a fish.

"WellyouseemycousinSoraranoffwithoutmeandI'm**new**andIdidn'tknowwheremylesso... n... was..."

Roxas stopped speaking as the laughter erupted from the class. Axel laid back in his chair, laughing along with them. The kid was so funny! Even if he was lost, and cute.

The teacher sighed, and placed a rough, gnarled hand on her desk. Roxas looked like he was about to cry.

"What's your name?"

"R-Roxas..."

"Very good. Now, just go and… sit down somewhere.

He nodded.

He looked for a seat again, and eventually found the only place spare. Next to Axel. The boy stumbled over to the redhead, gently rubbing his hair back in place. It hardly made a difference.

"Um… i-is it okay if I sit here?" He asked Axel, looking at the boy with his big baby-blues, a hopeful glint in them.

"Sure, help yourself." Axel replied looking up and flashing him a smile. The boy sat down, and looked at his hands. Axel stared at the boy intently, he could see sparkles in the corners of them where tears were beginning to form, but the boy brushed them away, smearing them over his cheek.

Axel felt sorry for him.

"Do you know what work we have to do?" Roxas continued to look down, and shook his head. "Do you want me to explain it?"

Then Roxas turned away, "Don't bother, I don't have any books..."

Axel was taken aback by this comment. He'd just been rejected. Axel? Rejected? Never! But the kid did have a point – if he didn't have any books, what was the point in bothering?

-x-X-x-

After about ten minutes, Axel couldn't contain himself any longer; the boy had been staring at his hands for – what, like – nine whole minutes? And he looked so fricking sad.

"Hey… Are you alright?" the older boy asked

Roxas looked up to see the redhead looking at him.

"Um… yeah…" He replied, in what he hoped was a way to get rid of the older boy – he just didn't feel like talking right now. Being humiliated in front of the whole class was not something he enjoyed. And now this boy was talking to him and it all seemed too awkward and inefficient.

"Oh, it's just you didn't look too happy."

Roxas looked at the boy again. He was telling Roxas that he didn't look happy. No, literally, telling Roxas that he didn't look happy? Because Roxas sure as hell didn't know!

"So… You're Roxas, right?"

Roxas nodded, turning back to look at his hands.

"Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" The boy held out a hand, Roxas looked at it sheepishly before agreeing to take it. Once he did though, he felt like he was binding some sort of secret contract – only between him and Axel. "So… You're new?"

"Yeah. I moved here about a week ago. You?" Roxas remembered when he had been found, huddled up in the corner of his kitchen, cold and hungry. He had eaten all the provisions they had already had. But, after that, he just didn't know what to do so he used his instincts and crept into the corner, crying.

"Naw, I'm a senior, but the college I want to go to say I need to be able to speak a foreign languge."

_'Ah, I thought he looked older…' _Roxas thought to himself. He'd been ever so slightly worried that this was one of those schools you saw in those films and all the kids look way older than they are meant to be.

"So, how come you moved here?" asked the intrigued boy, leaning closer to Roxas. Roxas felt somewhat intimidated, and leant back a little.

"My parents died. Two weeks ago." He managed to say it, with only two gulps. And now, he had Axel's pity. Oh what a joyous day indeed. First Old Moley over there, and now pity. Pity, pity, pity. For the past week that was all he got. And he was sick of it. His parents only **died**. There are worse things, like being sick – being sick's worse than dying. Because it is dying. But slowly, and painfully.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Roxas."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine. I'm not bothered."

Axel raised an eyebrow. _Not bothered?_

"I used to wish my parents would die," the redhead said, snorting to himself as though he had just made a particularly amusing joke.

The blond seemed offended, and slightly angry. He clenched his fists, but continued to look down at them. He wasn't going to look at Axel because he didn't need to.

"Don't say that. Ever."

"It wouldn't make a difference." The older boy said it with a hint of bitterness, but it obviously wasn't a statement for Roxas to hear, so he ignored it, and just tried to guess. Or maybe he should've just forgotten about it.

The bell rang and students filed out of the class, chatting animatedly about their next lesson.

"Uh, bye…?" He said warily.

"Bye, Roxas."

Roxas walked to the door.

He was determined NOT to be late for his next lesson.


	3. Track Running & Interrogation

gIRlfRIendS

-x-o-Chapter Three-o-x-

Next lesson was Biology – Roxas' least favourite subject. And it went by, mediocre, and he made three new acquaintances. Their names: Hayner, Pence and Olette. And by the end of the lesson Hayner was already acting as though he and Roxas had been best buddies for ever. But, Roxas didn't seem to mind – in fact, he rather enjoyed the notion that he had a pretend best friend. Or maybe it was for real...

"Soooo, Roxas, what do ya have next?" Hayner asked looking over Roxas' shoulder. Roxas brought out his time table and set it down on his desk for Hayner to look at. "Aww, man Phys. Ed! That was first/second period for me! I guess I'll see you around, then! Bye!"

A chorus of 'goodbye!' came from Olette and Pence as they hurried off after Hayner, and Roxas was left alone. Yet again.

He sighed, and made his lone way to the Sports Hall.

A half dirty kit was shoved into his hands before being was pushed into the boys' locker room. If the clothes smelt bad, if was nothing compared to how the room smelt. It was like a mixture of mouldy cheese and sour milk. Not the most pleasant scent to be forced upon on a Tuesday afternoon.

"Roxas!" A massive glomp hit Roxas' direction, causing him to stagger backwards a few paces. His head hit the locker room's evil wall and made Sora look up sheepishly, rubbing the back of his chocolate-like head.

"H-hey Sora." Roxas replied, wincing.

"Come on!" Sora grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him over to where he had been changing. Because of course it only took him a few seconds to get over Roxas' head pain. Too bad Roxas knew it would take himself a lot longer.

"This is Riku," He told me pointing to a guy with a bit over shoulder length slivery/white/blonde hair (rather odd, I know) and a 'cool' pose, sort of leaning back but then again, sort of not. "And this is **Tidus**!"

Riku nodded and went back to getting changed. Tidus, who seemed in a similar state to Sora, skipped over to Roxas, prodding him suspiciously, as though he may be a bomb... or something.

"Hi! You're Sora cousin!"

Roxas mentally whacked himself on the forehead. What a retard. And just then, as if right on cue, Tidus' head crashed with the wall, and he screamed in pain, clutching his newly bruised head.

Roxas winced. How could someone have so much energy?

"Uh, yeah…"

He dumped his bag and kit on the bench. Roxas pulled his shirt off, dumped it on the bench and replaced it with the mangy P.E one. He could practically see the fungi growing in clumps on the worn away 'cotton'.

Roxas always hated getting changed surrounded by people – there was always that strange shaky feeling in your stomach telling you that someone's secretly perving on you, or laughing at your bad physique. Something like that.

When he'd finally finished with the horrid changing process, he along with Sora and his friends, ran out onto the field.

"Track!" The teacher barked, "Track running today! Just run around the track until I tell ya to stop. Got it?"

He didn't wait for a reply. He went and sat down on a bench and chewed his smoking stick.

Track running.

What. Fun.

-x-X-x-

Demyx was a lot better off than his brother and cousin. His best friend was by his side, headphones dropped casually to his shoulders as he stared out the window, grimacing.

"Hey Demyx, is that your brother out there?"

Demyx looked out and saw his brother rolling on the floor, wheezing, his face red from exhaustion as Cid shouted at him. His cousin was leaning over him, hand outstretched. "Yes, it is actually."

"So it runs through the family, eh?"

Demyx smacked him over the head. "Shut up, Axel," he laughed, watching as Axel rubbed his head in a jokey manner. "You're no better than me, anyway."

Axel stuck out his chest, "And how would you know, Demyx? The last time we were in the same Games class was two years ago! Have you not seen my amazing body and its perfect shape?" Axel ran a hand through the air, gesturing his "amazing body and its perfect shape".

Demyx giggled, leaning an arm on Axel's shoulder, letting the red-head pet his head. "Coming to my house tonight, Axey?"

Axel shrugged, "Guess," he raised the headphones over his ears, "so, I had German today with Moley. Did you hear about that school trip she once went on and she was doing the checks in the rooms for any contraband? She went to this girl's room and looked into the kid's drawer and stroked her underwear!" Demyx gagged.

"No."

"Oh… okay. I think she likes Roxas, you know that new kid," Axel was unaware of Demyx's wide eyes and shocked appearance as the red-head bent his head down to do what you were meant to do in a Study Hall. Demyx shook his head.

"That's gross, man," he commented. "Roxas is my cousin."

Axel's head turned so fast that his headphones slipped down to his neck again. "Roxas is your cousin?!" Demyx nodded, grinning.

"You know him?"

"Sit next to him in German – that's how I know she likes him, she kept giving him funny looks. I didn't want to mention it though; might scare him." Demyx nodded.

"Oh well, I'll just tell him what to say to stop her from liking him in any way!" Demyx laughed. "Anyway, Axeeyy, you have to tell me: who's it this year? And don't say that Larxene's the only one for you because I know you hate her!"

Axel grimaced, "No," he swallowed an unwanted gulp, "one. No one this year."

Demyx narrowed his eyes in a conspiratial manner. "We'll see, Axel, we'll see."

.x.X.x.

Roxas sat down heavily, breathing at inconsistent points.

Roxas had (was forced) to have a quick shower before getting changed. He didn't take very long getting changed but Sora was mucking around with Tidus and Riku and took much longer.

When they finally started their way home. Demyx had already left in his car so they had to walk. It wasn't far, but they were both pretty worn out after P.E so it took them longer than it probably should have.

"Hello boys!" Sora's mum said warmly as they walked in, "Did you have a good day?"

They both nodded and Sora yawned, expressing his exhaustion, "T-tired though… We were doing track last thing."

She shook her head, laughing. "Oh! Poor you!" she said mockingly, "Anyway, go on; I need my space!"

Sora and Roxas scurried into the next room before both being attacked by a massive cuddle.

"HIYA ROXY!" Demyx had appeared out of nowhere. Roxas attempted to breathe normally again. His older cousin started dragging Sora off by the arm and signaling for Roxas to follow. "C'mon! You've gotta help me interrogate!"

He saw red hair bobbing about from behind the sofa. Roxas slapped his forehead, groaning inwardly. "Hey little buddy!"

"Piss off…" Axel had stood up and was towering over Roxas, pretending to pout though Roxas could definitely see that smirk slipping through his disguise.

"Aww… That's not a very nice way to talk too your German buddy!"

"Urg." Roxas suddenly found that he could no longer speak to this boy without resorting to caveman like speech. Speech was only a short step from instinct and then Roxas didn't know what he'd be doing to his "German buddy" – hitting him over the head with a club was his guess.

"Roxy?" Demyx laughed, obviously enjoying his cousin's mild peril.

"Wha- Oh… Sorry…" Roxas shook his head, smiling slightly.

"Whatever. We're interrogating Axel!"

Axel smirked, "Or trying to…"

Demyx cackled. "We're going to get it out of you!" he said tapping his fingers in a very Mr. Burns-ish way, "anyway! I think Axel's met some hot sophomore! And I want to know who it is!"

Sora smirked, or tried to at least, "Demyx is JEALOUS!" Then suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth, giggling, remembering that Demyx could well be jealous. "Sorry, Dem."

Demyx went over to Axel and started stroking his hair in the way that people do when they talk about how much you've grown. "Don't be, I do want my Axey all to myself!"

Axel ducked away from Demyx's hands.

He bit his lip. He knew Demyx was just mucking around what with his grinning face but there was a problem: there was a possible chance that Axel had met someone – and normally when he didn't he knew that it wouldn't last, the feeling wasn't in the pit of his stomach and neither was the person stopping his heart every now and then. He could just be imagining it. It probably wouldn't be the first time

But this time… he wasn't sure.

.x.X.x.

Demyx turned the TV off, sighing and rerunning his previous train of thoughts over again. Axel had met someone, he knew it. And that only meant hell from Larxy. But, the question was who had he met? Because the way Axel looked at Roxy and the way he turned his head when the blond's name was mentioned. Then he reminded himself, for the eighty-ninth time that night, Axel was straight, dumbass!

Right?

.x.X.x.

Roxas' journal

September 3rd 

Well… I started my new school today… and before you ask no. I didn't like it. Though, I made friends with these people called Hayner, Pence and Ollete. They seemed nice - I spent lunch with them, and I have two of my classes with Hayner.

And then there's Axel... There are no words to describe Axel. And there are no words to describe how I feel towards him. So I'll leave it there.

x.X.x.

**AN:** yippee! We're finally finished! xP Please review guys... they make me happy. they also make me update ever so slightly faster... btw, demyx IS gay

**Beta: **Finally, it is DONE. .o


	4. Early Mornings & Annoying Friends

gIRLfRIendS

-x-o-Chapter Four-o-x-

Morning were always bad. For Roxas, anyway. Demyx and Sora never seemed to mind getting up at an un-godly hour. They're the kind of people that seem to spring out of bed fully-clothed, bright eyed, and ready the day ahead. But that was them. Not Roxas.

So when his alarm told him to 'get off his fat ass!' he slammed his hand on it; knocking it of the nightstand.

"Stupid alarm…" He muttered darkly.

Roxas was defiantly not a morning person… Still, it was Wednesday, and he had to go to school. So, much to his annoyance, he had to get up and dressed.

The blond kicked his legs out from underneath his warm duvet, cursing at the sudden drop in temperature. He stood up and grabbed some clothes out of his wardrobe before making his way to the bathroom.

He could hear Sora and Demyx already thumping around downstairs. Seriously, how could they have so much energy at this time?! It's in-human, I'm telling you…

Roxas shook his head and locked the door.

-x-X-x-

"Waffles!" Sora squealed, as his mum set a large plate of the said food in front of him. Sora grabbed the plate and started shoveling the holy, waffle, goodness into his mouth.

Demyx was greedily eyeing the mouth-watering treats, that Sora was shoving into his mouth at top speed, from the opposite side of the table.

It was FAIR! Demyx wanted some waffles… But no! He had to have 'brain-fueling' cereal. Also know as rabbit food. Such is the life of a senior, under the watchful eye of his parents.

Demyx pushed the half-empty bowl of 'rabbit food' away from him in disgust. Unfortunately, his mother noticed him and threatened to force-feed him it. Demyx shuddered at the mere thought of being force fed by his mum. He was still painfully scared from the 'here comes the aeroplane' experiences from when he was younger.

Wisely, he picked up his spoon and quickly gulped down the remains of his cereal. He wondered if the other seniors had it this bad…

Sora licked the last crumbs off his plate and started whining for more. Waffles, that is…

A very tired looking Roxas enter the room, rubbing the back of his head. How could he be tired?! He had a lovely plate of mouth-watering waffles to look forward to every morning! Demyx only had rabbit food, yet he still had more energy!

Mind you… Roxas had been through a lot lately, or so his mother kept reminding him.

But Demyx wants SUGGAAARRR!!

That's the best thing you can possibly have first thing in the morning; a sugar rush. A perfect way to start the day. But the only thing Demyx was allowed for breakfast, sadly, contains no sugar what so ever. Not even a trace.

Roxas jumped into the stool and slumped down on the breakfast bar. Yes, he had to jump.

But, as Roxas would always say, 'I'm not short; I'm just… vertically challenged…'

But that was just a cover up.

"Alright, Roxy?" Demyx asked patting his cousin on the shoulder. Demyx awaited the death glare he would normally receive for calling him 'Roxy', but it didn't come. All that came was:

"Uh… mmm…"

Someone obviously wasn't feeling very talkative this morning…

Demyx heard his mother sigh sympathetically. She placed a larger helping of steaming waffles in front of him.

"Here you go, Roxas. Eat whatever you want, and leave the rest."

Oh. That is so not fair.

"Thanks…" Roxas mumbled weakly. He took a small bite out of one of them, then put it back on the plate. He didn't appear to be hungry… Maybe… If he wasn't hungry… Demyx might be able to snaffle a few… But he decided better of it, under the watchful eye of his mother.

Jess A.N Sorry, I hate putting these in the middle of a story, but I thought you might need to know that Jess is Demyx's and Sora's Mum, and Roxas' Aunty of course. glanced up at the clock and rolled her eyes.

"Hurry up boy's! Or you'll be late!"

Sora and Demyx jumped up and ran for the door, not before grabbing their bags, and also a handful of Roxas' waffles. Roxas jumped down off the stool (vertically challenged! Not short!) and swung his bag over his black and white messenger bag over his shoulder. He waved to Naomi and followed his cousins out of the door.

He couldn't help feeling that it was going to be a long day…

-x-X-x-

"Sora!!" Sora whipped around in time to see Selphie running at him, at top speed.

"Selphie!" Sora ran up to her. This could be one of those cheesy, romantic films, that Selphie likes, where the two 'lovers' haven't seen each other for… a while, then they see each other and it all goes in slow motion. Then when the girl gets up to the guy he picks her up and swings her around… and it's all very… cheesy…

But it wasn't one of those scenes. Because that would just be wrong… Selphie was about to say something before she got distracted by Tidus, and ran over to glomp him. How could the poor guy cope?

Sora turned around to see a certain red-head waving at him.

"Hey, Sora!" She said walking over and enveloping him in a hug.

"Hey, Kai." He replied, smiling. He couldn't help but like Kairi, even though he was jealous of her… It wasn't her fault.

"Sora, you have to stay at my house on Friday! You haven't stayed since like… before Summer Vacation!"

Sora, reluctantly, agreed. There wouldn't be any point in arguing, anyway.

"Great! It'll be just like old times!"

"Ahee… Yeah… Wonderful…" Sora smiled weakly.

Sora spaced out as his friend carried on babbling about this and that. It wasn't until he heard the word 'Riku' that he came back to this place we like to call Earth. But, much to the brunette's disappointment, Kairi had only mentioned his name during her little speech. Weird how his name could grab his attention like that…

"Sora? Are you even listening to me?" Sora jerked out of his thoughts to see Kairi facing him, with her hands on her hips.

"Uh huh… Sounds great…" Sora mumbled, trying to cover up his lack of attention. Kairi rasied an eyebrow, unfortunately, for Sora, she wasn't easily convinced.

"Sora, I really thin-"

"Kairi, I'm fine! I was just… Thinking, okay?"

"No, Sora! Tell me what's wrong! You've been acting weird around me for a while now!" She said with a hint of worry in her eyes.

Sora sighed in defect. Damn her. Damn her and her stubborn ways. He had to think of a cover up, and fast.

"I-I was… worrying about Ri- Roxas! Yeah, Roxas. You see, I'm really worried about him," This wasn't really a lie. He was worried about his cousin, but he had more… pressing matters on his mind. Like his feeling towards a certain sliver-haired friend of his, "I mean, he's not been himself since… since that happened." Sora didn't like talking about the death of his Aunt and Uncle. He could only imagine what it must be like for Roxas, they were his parents! 

Kairi's face softened, "Oh Sora, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have snapped at you like that… I feel really bad now! Of course you're worried about Roxas!"

Sora, quite relieved that his plan had worked, let out a shaky laugh.

"Don't worry about it, Kai…" He pulled her into a hug and Kairi threw her arms around him.

**.x.X.x.**

**A/N **

…

Why don't you just press that lovely, little, purple button in the corner there and click review!! It _loves_ to be pressed!


	5. Pondering & Drooling

_-x-o-Chapter 5-o-x-_

gIRLfRIendS

**A/N** YAYYYY Chapter five!

And I'm BACK.

Sorry, I've been really busy but I hope I should be able to write in my free time )

-boogies-

I love writing this story!

It's so fun!

But only because I'm in control of what happens!

-manic laughter-

Riku was pondering. He tried not to do this in school hours because it gave him a rather glazed look. Which did not become him.

He was actually thinking about a certain brunette he had been friends with since kindergarten. He had a suspicion that he might like Kairi. As in _like_ like, that was. He didn't really surprise him as Kairi is… a very nice person.

I little voice in the very bottom of his stomach told him that he might just be a little teeny, weeny bit jealous. But that was a very silly part of Riku. He wasn't jealous… why would he be?

-x-X-x-

Roxas slumped down in his chair. His teacher eyeing him beadily, as he dropped his newly acquired books onto the desk. He wished Axel would hurry up and get here so he could copy up yesterday's work. Mind you, Roxas was early. Only the really weird, keen people were already in the room. It felt weird… If he'd been back at his old school he'd be mucking around outside with his friends. Possibly breaking a rule or two. But, sadly, those days were over.

Roxas sighed. Would he ever make really good friends here like he had in his old school? Hayner, Pence, and Olette seemed nice enough, but they were too much of a little three-some to let anyone else in.

It was then that Roxas saw the happy-looking red-head walk though the door, the blond felt an odd leaping sensation, which he choose to ignore. Axel smirked when he saw Roxas, that sort of un-nerved the blonde slightly.

"Err… Hey, Axel." Roxas said, sounding much braver than he felt. He didn't know why, but it felt like he would be safer jumping into a pit of blood-thirsty moogles than talking to this guy…

"Hey, Roxy." Axel replied, smirking.

"Don't call me that…" Roxas didn't like being called 'Roxy'. Demyx called him that pretty much all the time even so.

"Call you what Roxy?" Axel asked, innocently.

"Roxy. It's Roxas." The annoyed blonde told him.

"Okay, Rox-as." Axel stressed the last syllable in an extremely annoying way. Roxas rolled his eyes.

'Like I haven't heard that one before…' he thought to himself.

"I give up…" He muttered to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn the smirking red-head was giving him the 'once-over'. But maybe, he was just imagining it. Or maybe, he hoped…?

"What?! I did not 'hope' that he was checking me out!"

Yeah… if you say so…

Then he realized that Axel was staring at him, he seemed pre-tty surprised.

Oh. Shit. Please don't tell me I said that out loud…?

Axel's look of surprise curled into another one of his trademark smirks. Roxas was quite aware of the fact that his face was lit up like a beacon, proclaiming to the world; that he was embarrassed. Oh, the joys of hormones…

Axel leaned forward, pretending to be reaching for one of Roxas' books, and whispered in the other boy's ear:

"Are you sure, Roxas? Because, maybe I was…"

Roxas' eyes widened in a mixture of shock and embarrassment. He could feel his face getting redder by the second. Knowing his luck, the wind would change and he'd stay the puce colour for ever…

Did… Did Axel just suggest…

I think he did, my friend…

Roxas glanced over at the smirking red-head, who was now leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. His shirt had been pulled up slightly, exposing a bit of his stomach. Roxas could help but steal a look…

Oh… he has nice abs…

Roxas blinked.

Did I just think that? Me, Roxas, say that Axel has nice abs? Please, no…

The voice in Roxas' head cackled in delight and Roxas let his head fall onto the table with a hard crack.

Ouch…

-x-X-x-

"Demyx! Stop drooling on me!"

Demyx woke up from his little day dream as he was grabbed by the shoulders and roughly shook.

"Wha- oh… Sorry Larx…"

Larxene rolled her eyes, " You will be…" She muttered under her breath. Demyx ignored it though; he was used to her death threats by now.

"What were you thinking about Dem? Or who as the case may be…?"

Demyx jumped at the sound of Marluxia's voice. No matter how long they'd been friends for, he couldn't get used to the abnormally deep voice…

"Err… I was just spacing out…"

Marluxia shrugged and Larxene was too busy throwing daggers at the teacher that had just walked through the door.

Demyx cast a side-ways glance at the blonde, then decided that now wasn't the best time to tell her about his suspicions… The outcome would be too painful to imagine… Demyx felt a shiver run down his spine at the very thought. Besides, they were only suspicions…

"Right, class! The homework!" Their teacher clapped his hands together, "Watch the board while I go through it."

Around half the class snorted into their books, even their teacher laughed before starting the lesson. Demyx snuggled down in his chair, closed his eyes and settled down for a nice, long snooze.

-x-X-x-

**A/N **Okay, so, it was short. But I have already written the next chapter. So, if you guys review it might just appear for you to read!

Hint hint.


	6. Blank Looks, Text Messages & Secrets

_-x-o-Chapter 6-o-x-_

_**A/N** Hey Guys_

_Enjoy the new chapter. :)_

.x.X.x.

_'Uggh… Biology…'_

Roxas walked silently through the corridor, on his way to his… ahem… favorite class, Biology.

He'd been right about Hayner, Pence and Olette; when he passed them earlier, they ignored his wave of greeting with blanks looks. How nice of them.

Roxas turned to his left, into his Biology lab. He swung his bag over his shoulder and dumped it on his desk.

There was the usual 'havoc' going on in the room; some of the guys were setting fire to themselves with a Bunsen burner, a gaggle of girls were playing with the skeleton they fondly called Jack.

Roxas felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket.

You have one new message.

The screen read. Roxas selected the un-read message.

heyaaaa roxieee! I miss you sooo much and we reeeeally (reeeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy) want to come to yours this weekend! I know you'll let us, so SEE YA THERE! LOVE RIKKU YOUR BESTEST BUDDY WHO WANTS TO SEE YOUR PRETTY FACE AGAIN! ... oh... and the rest. SEE YA!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx(LUVVVV)

Roxas felt a small smile creep onto his face; at least his old friends hadn't forgotten him… Quickly, he sent back:

Sure, I'll have 2 ask tho. x R

He shoved his phone back into his pocket, feeling a lot happier, just in time, the teacher strode in beckoning to someone. A boy of about medium height, with blue/grey hair that hung over one eye, followed her through the door right to the front of the room as she had signaled.

"This is Zexion; he's just transferred, okay?"

That's weird… why didn't he start when everyone else did?

"Now, where would you like to sit?"

There were only three free seats; one right at the back next to a group of guys, another between a bunch of girls, the bag that had previously taken that chair had mysteriously disappeared, and finally, one next to Roxas.

"I'll sit here, thanks." He said, walking over and taking the seat next to Roxas. The teacher looked rather taken aback, it had been a rhetorical question…

"…Fine…" She said, regaining herself from the rebellious teenager's choice. "Um… Right… Chapter six in your text books please."

Roxas flicked through his textbook, casting a side-ways glance at Zexion

Why the hell did he sit here?

"So… What's your name?"

"...Roxas," Roxas answered, nervously. Nervously? Shouldn't he be happy that someone was being nice?

"Okay, Roxas…" Zexion seemed slightly put out. He probably thought Roxas didn't want to talk to him. That wasn't entirely true.

"Err…" Roxas started, trying to spark up a conversation. "How come you came today?"

Zexion looked up from the book they were supposed to be reading. "My family moved in yesterday."

Roxas nodded, smiling slightly.

He's not half bad, actually…

"Yeah, I only moved here a couple of weeks ago. I live with my cousins now."

"Oh, why?" Roxas paused. He couldn't go straight out and tell this guy he hardly knew. Sure, he seemed nice enough, but that wasn't enough. He vaguely wondered why he had told Axel. In Roxas' books of 'First Appearances Mean Everything' – usually – someone like Axel would be distrustful and you couldn't tell them anything. Yet, Roxas found himself confiding in him like he had known him his whole life.

Thankfully, Roxas didn't need to give an answer because of their teacher telling them to 'shut up and read the bloody chapter'.

Zexion raised his eyebrows and did what looked like a pathetic excuse for a smile at Roxas. Roxas grinned back.

-x-X-x-

"Riku? Are you okay? You've hardly said anything to me all day." Sora asked the boy next to him. Riku turned to him and smiled weakly.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Sora knew that he was covering up; he'd known him for too long not to realize when something was wrong.

"Riku, I know you're trying to hide something from me. And I'll get it out of you - one way or another." Riku could see he was trying to make a joke and lighten the air but he just sighed and shook his head.

'No, Sora. You'll never get this out of me. That would be so… not good.'

The slivery-haired boy cringed at the thought of Sora finding out about his little secret.

Sora raised his eyebrows and Riku saw a different tactic coming on.

"Riku! We're best friends! We're meant to tell each other _everything_!"

'Except that tiny little secret perhaps. but he doesn't need to know about that. Sora thought weakly, turning away from his friend, hiding a soft blush.

He didn't know what he'd do if Riku found out about that. The prospect was unimaginable.

Riku frowned. "Yeah, we are," Riku said as Sora turned round. "Though, are you hiding anything, Sora?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows – now, he was trying to lighten the mood. But it worked in the opposite effect. Sora could feel his piercing, aqua eyes look right into his, like he was trying to pierce his aqua eyes right into Sora's brain and read his very thoughts.

Sora flushed again and shifted in his seat. "N-no, of course not. Why would I?"

Riku raised an eyebrow as though his point had been proved. Which it had. The were both keeping things from each other. The suspicions they had, however, were entirely wrong.

-x-X-x-

**A/N** HawHawHaw

Sorry if that chapter was slightly rambled.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

Please review this one also! :)

I'll decide how many reviews i want to update in my head. So your best bet is to review if you want me to update :)

nirii xx


	7. Hair Dye & Spilt Milk

-o-x-Chapter 7-x-o-

"Roxy!" Demyx pounced on Roxas as soon as he walked through the door. Of course, Roxas was surprised, but it was nothing compared to the look on Zexion's face, poor kid... "Oh my god! A friend too! Roxas has a friend!" Demyx started dancing round the room chanting this over and over. Roxas raised his eyebrows and Zexion stood, staring at Demyx.

Marluxia must have heard the commotion Demyx was making because he walked into the room, carrying a bottle of what looked suspiciously like hair-dye. It slipped out of his hands when he saw Roxas and Zexion.

"Ohh. My. Gawd! Is that your natural hair colour?!" He asked staring at Zexion hair in awe.

Nervously, Zexion nodded, and Demyx was frowning at Marluxia.

"You see," The pink-haired boy started, grabbing some of Zexion hair, "This is the colour I want."

The room fell silent; it was like one of those weird 'wild-west' movies, just before the 'shoot out'. Then Demyx said:

"Wow, Marly… You really out-gayed yourself…" Marluxia rolled his eyes and walked out eyes and walked out of the room, not before picking up the bottle of course.

"So, what's your name, friend-of-Roxas?" Demyx asked, grinning at the boy. They were about the same height (maybe Demyx was a little taller), despite the age difference, though Demyx was quite short. Roxas rolled his eyes and sat on the sofa.

"Zexion." He said it carefully, slowly, as if Demyx was some mental lunatic. Or an old-age pensioner.

Demyx stopped. He blinked and looked taken aback. "Zexion?" he asked, walking slowly over to him.

"Yes?" asked Zexion. Demyx held up his hands as if to touch Zexion's face.

"Zexion...?" Demyx's hand dropped to his side.

Axel's head poked out from around the fridge to see the "new-comer". Roxas felt a slight leap in his stomach that surprised him so much he _almost_ fell off the sofa, steadying himself only just in time. He hugged his knees to his chest, wondering why he had just experienced a burst of sudden happiness.

A slight frown found it's way onto Axel's face when his eyes settled on Zexion. "What's your name again?" The redhead asked.

Zexion didn't seem to have heard so Roxas answered for him, "He's called Zexion."

Axel's face dropped. The carton of milk he was holding slipped from between his slim fingers and smashed on the floor.

Roxas looked perplexed; wondering what on _earth_ was going on.

Demyx kept opening his mouth and closing it again; unable to find the right words to say. It suddenly must have become too much for Demyx. He ran at Zexion and enveloped him in a huge hug, squeezing him so hard you would question whether Zexion was still able to breath.

Roxas frowned as a couple of tears slipped down his cousin's oddly mournful face.

Then there was the click of a key in a lock and the door burst open. Sora came tumbling in, laughing at something Tidus had just said. His smile faltered as his clear, bright, blue eyes fell upon the strange scene currently taking place in the kitchen.

His eyes wandered from the gaping Axel to the surprised Zexion to the sobbing Demyx and finally resting on the spilt milk. There was a brief, uncomfortable pause then Sora said, slowly.

"It's alright Demyx, there's no need to cry over spilt milk…"

Axel looked like he wanted to laugh at that, his mouth twitched upwards slightly before dropping again. He sighed and started to clean up the mess. Roxas sat there, perplexed as Demyx only clutched onto Zexion tighter, Zexion's arms slowly wound round Demyx's waist, making Demyx take one last sob before drying his eyes and looking into Zexion's face again.

Then he grabbed Zexion's hand and dragged him to his bedroom.

Roxas paused, the question: 'What the **fuck**?' seemed to suit the occasion and he was just about to say it before Axel plonked himself next to Roxas, an arm sneakily going over his shoulders. "So, Rox," he said. Roxas cringed at the nickname. "Because your brother has very rudely abandoned me, I'll interrogate you about your first two days at our CrapHole of a school."

Roxas groaned and sunk down into the sofa, this was going to be a long evening…

**.x.X.x.**

**AN: **Bwahhahaha. Poor Roxas. I have just started on chapter Eight so that should be done soon. But i have been old to wait longer before I update so, lets say i was to get to 35 reviews? I'm pretty sure that enough people that this on Story Alert to make it have that many reviews. D

Much Cookies,

nirii xx


	8. Waiting & Wondering

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**A/N: **Okay, i decided to add some on too this chapter, so please make sure you read it...

_-o-x-Chapter 8-x-o-_

Sora shuffled from one foot to the other as he impatiently waited for Kairi at the front gate of Millbrook High. He hated waiting, and it was even worse when you were waiting for someone you didn't particularly want to see. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Kairi; because he did, she was his other-best-friend-that-wasn't-Riku, but he always felt so awkward around her at the moment. It was probably because he was ever so jealous of her for being with Riku.

What is it with High School? People always seem to split off into couple bubbles and do everything together. At the moment it seemed to be Selphie and Tidus, Kairi and Riku, Sora and no one. And no one wasn't a particularly friendly partner.

He was pretty sure Hayner felt something along the same lines as him due to the fact that Pence and Olette had (finally) admitted their feelings towards each other during the summer and were now dating.

Sora mused over the past few days. He supposed quite a lot had happened but none of it had meant anything to him. It was all to do with other people, and gossip just didn't seem interesting at the moment. The brunette had spent his day thinking about what would happen at Kairi's house that night, day-dreaming and ignoring Kairi's endless chatter. She was probably trying to make up for Sora's silence by talking enough for both of them

The painful nudge of a ridiculously pointy elbow into this side shook him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, hey Kairi!" He said, turning to grin at the red-head.

She smiled back, "Come on," they started for the busy pavement outside the school gates. "Did you have a good day?"

Sora shrugged, "It was… normal."

Kairi frowned, "You're normally so enthusiastic about everything Sora. What's wrong?"

Sora pondered for a while as to whether he should tell Kairi why he wasn't his usual self. The pro would be that Kairi would jump for joy at the thought of having a gay best friend which, according to Demyx, is every girl's dream. The con would be that she would dump Riku (which would be a good thing for Sora) and be really unhappy which he really didn't want.

On the other hand, she might be disgusted and shun him, but that wasn't very likely. Besides, she was bound to find out sometime. I mean, Sora couldn't keep it a secret forever.

"Well, the thing is-"

"Oh! How could I be so _stupid_?! I _know_ why you're upset!" The brunette's eyes widened, could she really know? Was it that obvious? "You're upset about your Aunt and Uncle! I'm so sorry… I should have thought."

Sora hung his head, not sure whether to be annoyed or relieved.

"Yeah… It's really weird seeing Roxas and Mum so depressed all the time but trying to cover it up, y'know?"

Kairi gave him a pitiful look and a quick one-armed squeeze. "Try not to think about it too much." There was silence for a few miserable minutes, Sora trying hard not to think about it – and now that the subject had cropped up, Kairi thinking about it lots. "Oh hey, I know something that will cheer you up!" I huge grin spread across her delicate features. She grabbed Sora's left hand and started running down the road, dragging the surprised teen with her.

-x-X-x-

"Hey! Roxas!" The blonde turned around to see his older cousin waving manically at him, "Do you want a ride home?"

Roxas nodded and walked over to him. The week seemed to have taken a lot out of him but, as his Aunty Jess had said, 'the day, or week in your case, is always the worst'.

"What's up, Roxie?" Demyx asked as he climbed into the car. "Oh man, that's a brilliant song title."

Roxas gave a feeble smile. "Not much," he replied, untruthfully, sighing heavily, as though he was letting out a breath he had been holding without realising it.

"Eh, don't worry about it. It'll all be fine," said Demyx, who, for all his faults, was smart enough to realise that there was – in fact – a lot up; but, for all his faults, wasn't apt enough to drop it.

Roxas snorted. It didn't seem like it was going to be all right to him, but he'd just have to get on with it like he always did. His father had always taught him to keep his chin up and take whatever came to him like a man.

_"The best way to succeed in life is to stay on the straight an narrow."_ he'd said. Roxas had found it rather amusing as he was gay so he wasn't exactly 'on the straight.' Maybe a satNAV would help... Or a TomTom. You could get funny voices on the TomTom.

"...here. Hey, are you listening? Yoohoo! Roxie?" Roxas snapped back to the present, remembering how he had once promised never to wallow in a my-parents-are-dead-inflicted rant.

"Yea- what?" He said. pushing a stray hair away from his eyes.

"We're _here_. Come on, get out." Demyx said hastily opening his door and clambering out.

Roxas sighed, climbed out of the car and followed is cousin through the front door.

He watched Demyx disappear upstairs, wondering whether to ask him about what was going on with him and Zexion. He thought better of it. Roxas had already questioned Zexion about it but the boy just, infuriatingly, clammed up and refused to speak for the rest of the day. Which was pretty weird but Roxas just assumed that that was how Zexion rolled.

He declared to himself that the whole situation a mystery and he should just forget about it; it was a lot better like that.

Roxas stifled a yawn as he threw himself down onto the sofa and dropped his bag onto the floor. There was a small chance that someone might trip over it, break their neck and die a horrible death… but Roxas would think about that later. After a nice long nap.

"Roxas?"

Damnit.

"Oh, it is you, Roxas."

The blonde opened his eyes to see his Aunt standing in the doorway. Her light blonde hair was tumbling out of the messy bun and she had thick dough covering her hands. She frowned very slightly, "Are you alright?"

He nodded, stifling another yawn, "Yeah, 'm fine. Just t-tired."

"Okay then… Oh!" Her face brightened as though she had just had a brilliant idea, "I forgot, your friend Rikku rang, she and some others, I didn't quite catch the names, are coming over tomorrow. She seemed very excited!"

Roxas groaned, although he was incapable of wiping the grin off his face because secretly he'd been hoping that they would come and visit him soon. He missed them a lot. He had guessed it would be, but it was strange not seeing the girls every day. Plus, that had a lot of catching up to do.

.x.X..x

**Author's note: **Uh huh... yes. I hope that was better.

Reviews satisfy me and make me update.


	9. Confessions & Goals

**Author's note: **Hiiii! How are we all? Okay, I wrote this about two-and-a-half times because it was weird. o.O Then i though, "Hmm... I should just put it up because otherwise i'll never update and every will get annoyed and you'll never update and then this story will **die**and you will be all annoyed because you will have to write something else."

Sooo, i updated.

-o-x-Chapter 9-x-o

"Nooooo!" Kairi! You can't put me through the embarrassing procedure that involves!" Sora protested, trying to tug his arm out of the red-head's surprisingly firm grip.

"But Sora! It'll be so fun!" she whined.

Sora pouted, "But it will make me look openly-gay and flamboyant if you paint my nails!"

Kairi opened her mouth to reply but then seemed to change her mind and closed it again. She paused, a questioning look directed at Sora – as though she were trying to reassess him. Then she opened her mouth again, "What do you mean 'openly-gay'?"

Sora shuffled on the spot, "I err… It'll make me look gay as in a tight t-shirt and short shorts would make me look… gay…"

Kairi smirked slightly. "So you don't mean it'll make you seem openly-gay oppose to being 'in the closet'?"

Sora could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, which was never a good sign. Damn that girl. She was too clever.

"Uh… No. No, definitely not."

Kairi raised her eyebrows and gave the brunette a 'you don't fool me' look before walking into her bedroom.

Sora felt his face. It was hot enough to fry a couple of eggs! He started fanning his face, to make the blush calm down a little. Maybe he could pretend that he was sick and he had a temperature. But then, if he did that he would probably have to home and besides, Kairi knew what Sora was like when he was sick. She'd known him for too long.

"Okay, Kai. I'll let you paint my nails. But I'm taking it off before we go anywhere."

"Okay!" the red-head agreed, jumping on the her bed, "Come here then!"

Sora grinned and sat on the bed, bouncing slightly. They both started giggling for no apparent reason until Kairi suddenly looked solemn.

"Sora," she said, "Pass me your… left hand."

The brunette was still laughing slightly but managed to do as she said.

She opened the bottle she had picked out and began brushing it carefully on to his left thumb.

"So, Sora. Got anything to tell me?" she asked, not looking at him.

Sora, almost automatically, mentally panicked before telling her that no, he didn't have anything to tell her. She'd have to be quicker than that to catch him out.

But he felt bad when the red-head's face dropped and she looked disappointed. It was then he realised that Kairi had her suspicions, but wanted him to tell her in person, because he wanted to, not because she had asked.

He bit his lip thoughtfully. Maybe he really should just stop second-guessing and tell her. The whole of Roxas's old school knew that Roxas was gay and (almost) everyone seemed pretty much okay with it. Mind you, Roxas had a whole girl army to protect him, so you'd have to be mad to say something offensive to him.

Sora longed to be able to talk freely to Kairi about anything and everything like he could when they were younger and he knew that she did too.

He could always just tell her part of it… Just that he was gay and leave out the whole 'Oh, yeah, I fancy your boyfriend too' palaver.

"Kairi…" the brunette started, sounding much braver than he felt. "I think... Yep, I think I do actually have something to tell you."

The red-head looked up, her eyebrows perked slightly with a mixture of surprise and interest. "Oh? And what might that be?"

Sora automatically started thinking of something else to say instead but he mentally smacked his forehead and told his brain to shut up.

"Okay…Idon'tknowhowtosaythisandI'mreallysorryeventhoughitprobablydoesn'tmattertoyoubutI'mgay." He breathed a huge sigh of relief; he'd said it. Now all he needed was Kairi's reaction.

The brunette opened his eye slowly, biting his bottom lip, to see the red-head staring open mounted at him, her eyes were wide with shock.

'Ah,' he thought, 'maybe she hadn't been expecting that one.'

"You're… gay?" she asked, swallowing a gulp.

Sora nodded, "Yeah, I'm gay." he confirmed, this was more awkward than he thought it would be.

Kairi suddenly squealed and threw her arms around him causing him to yelp in shock.

"This is so cool! I've always wanted a gay best friend! And now a have one! We can go shopping together and borrow each other's clothes and bitch about people and… and talk about boys!" she squealed, clearly delighted.

The brunette sighed in relief and hugged her tightly, "That sounds great!"

"Ohh! I love you so much! You are the bestest best friend in the whole wide world, Sora!"

"You too Kairi!"

When they had finished hugging (and squealing, in Kairi's case) Kairi smiled cheekily and Sora knew what she was going to ask.

"Is there someone you like then?"

"I don't really know…" He lied.

She pouted, "Aww, come on! There must be somebody! What about Leon? You know, the senior guy? Phwoar!"

Sora burst out laughing. It was weird to hear Kairi talking like this. He supposed this was how she acting around other girls but it still felt really strange.

"Now I know where Selphie gets it from!" he joked. Then he frowned. "But... isn't Leon straight?"

Kairi giggled, "I know! But still. You can still think straight guys are hot. I mean, girls think that gay guys are hot as well!"

Sora's eyebrows shot up, "You do? Oh… right. Well, yeah. He is." he said, grinning sheepishly.

Kairi giggled, "I know! Oh, I'm so glad you've told me! I've been so worried about you! I thought you didn't like me anymore." she paused, thinking, "Are you going to tell Riku?"

"No!" he replied so fast that Kairi raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "I... I just don't think that I'm quite ready for anyone else to know yet."

The red-head nodded, "Okay, but remember that you can talk to me about anything! Even any seriously weird and disgusting dreams you've had."

Sora burst out laughing (again) before releasing some of the pent-up energy he had gained from sitting down for so long. He felt like he'd just jumped ten miles closer to his goal.

And it felt brilliant.

-x-X-x-

**Author's Note: **yeesss! Finally, we are getting somewhere!

Well, was it good? Was it terrible? Let me know!

Nirii xx


	10. Guessing Games & Rain

**Author's Note: **Hey, hey, hey (: how is everyone?

I'm really happy because i almost have 50 reviews on this story, i thought i should probably wait until i actually _got_ 50 reviews before i update but then i coudln't be bothered. Because this chapter totally rocks. I think. Whatever.

Thanks to: EriNicoleAndUKnowIt, SarahXxUnlovedxX, Lamatikah & DarkHenrych for reviewing! They made me smile. Alot.

_-o-x-Chapter 10-x-o-_

Kairi lay awake that night, mulling over all the things that had happened recently. What Sora had told her about his sexuality stood out like a black spot on an exceptionally clean, white wall.

She supposed that she has always suspected it but she had never really thought about it properly, so it was still a big shock.

The red-head snuggled down into the warm pillows, humming a little tune in her head. She hoped it wouldn't change much about their relationship. If anything, it would bring them closer because they could do all sorts of things that they couldn't do before without it being embarrassing for Sora.

She could hear the brunette muttering something. She turned over to look at him. His chest was rising and falling steadily and his breathing was deep so he was almost definitely asleep. But he was also definitely talking; even if it was incoherent.

Kairi had to stifle a laugh as the brunette rolled over with a small frown on his face and said something along the lines of 'go away, you idiot'.

She suddenly remembered a program she had seen on the TV about people being able to have conversations with someone in their sleep but not remembering them in the morning.

"Sora?" she said tentatively, wondering if he would answer.

"Yeah?" came the reply from a sleepy Sora.

Kairi's eyes widened and had to pinch her nose to stop herself from laughing. Then she realised that she could probably get anything out of him right now and she grinned wickedly: she could have some fun with this. He would do anything to get her to shut up when he was tired.

"So, Sora, now that you've 'come out of the closet' to me, is there anyone that has caught your eye?"

She really hoped he would answer her. Though she felt a bit mean asking him in a way that he wouldn't really have any control over, but he wouldn't tell her consciously. And desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Kai_ri_… Don't wanna talk now. M'tired…" he whined, clutching his pillow and frowning slightly. He was half-awake, which disappointed Kairi slightly, the thought of talking to someone in their asleep was much more exciting.

"Come on, Sora. Friends tell each other _everything._" She resorted to the guilt-trip; it always worked, "Don't you want to be my friend anymore? You hate me don't you?"

He groaned, tired. "Don't be silly."

Kairi smiled widely, "Well, if I guess his name will you tell me if I am right?"

Sora mumbled into his pillow and the red-head decided that to take it as a yes.

"Yay! Okay, um…" she paused as she tired to make a mental list of boys Sora knew, "Okay, is it… Tidus?"

Sora opened his eyes and gave Kairi a disbelieving look, "Yeah, I really fancy Tidus. _Not._"

Kairi shrugged, "It was the first name that came into my head!" she continued down the list, mentally crossing each person off, becoming more and more confused as she went on and Sora shook his head each time.

"Um, how about Wakka?" she asked, desperately trying to think of more names.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Now you're just being stupid." He turned over so Kairi was now staring at his back.

Kairi frowned, and then remember one name she hadn't mentioned. She bit her lip, hesitating. She wasn't really sure if it was a question she wanted answering.

"I-It's not… Riku, is it?" she asked tentatively, waiting for his answer with baited-breath.

Sora remained silent, which meant one of two things: he's fallen asleep or it was true.

"Oh my god…" she half whispered, hardly daring to believe it, "It _is_, isn't it, Sora? It all makes sense… you've been avoiding me because you were upset because I am dating him and you were avoiding Riku because you _like_ him!"

She heard the brunette sigh and she knew that she was right.

"Sora… Why didn't you _tell_ me? I would never had said yes when he asked me to go out with him if I had known."

Sora turned to look at her worry plastered across his pale face, "I'm sorry… I thought you would hate me for it."

Kairi's face softened, "Why would I hate you? You're my best friend! I could never hate you."

Sora blinked and half-smiled, "So, you're not mad at me?"

Kairi rolled her eyes, "No! In fact, I'm going to help you get together with him."

Sora started at her, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, okay here's the plan, "she said, nodding to herself, "I'll break up with him - saying that err… he's too much of a friend or something. Then you, Sora, will have to- "

"Kairi! You _really_ don't have to do this… I- it- it'll blow over, I'm sure."

Kairi waved a hand at him to silence him, "Sora - shut up. Right... I'll dump Riku and we _are_ going to get you together with him. Got it?"

Sora nodded, not daring to disagree.

"Great! Well, listen carefully now Sora, this is what we are going to do…"

.o.O.o.

Axel smirked as he opened the door to see a drenched and grumbling Demyx. He closed the door as the blonde ran inside and stood in front of the radiator.

"Why does it always have to rain when I decide to _walk_ but it _never_ rains when I drive? Oh no, let's make it rain because silly old Demyx thought he might enjoy a nice walk to see his good friend Axel who will have a good laugh at him when he turns up completely soaked through and tries to dry himself off by the- is this thing even _on_?" The blonde stopped talking abruptly and began fiddling with the control.

Axel shook his head, "Nope. I'm not cold because I wasn't stupid enough to go out in the rain."

Demyx pouted and plucked at his wet t-shirt, "Axel…" he said, grinning mischievously, "Can I borrow some dry clothes?"

The red-head raised his eyebrows and shrugged slightly, "Sure. Help yourself." He walked into the sitting room where Marluxia was watching the television screen tearfully.

Axel frowned at the film. It was an old back and white one and it showed a woman declaring her undying love to some guy in army uniform at a train station.

The pink-haired boy burst into noisy tears as the man got on to the train and it pulled out of the platform.

"Uh, Marly?" Axel said, shaking his head in disbelief, "You do know it's only a movie, right? You don't have to cry about it."

Marluxia shot him a sharp glare, "It was a very emotional scene, alright? He's going to go and fight in a war and he _dies_ so they never get to see each other again!" he blew his nose loudly and Axel rolled his eyes.

"God. You get _way_ too worked up…" he muttered, laughing as Marluxia threw a cushion at him and walked out of the room, smacking into a very surprised Demyx on his way out.

"He was watching that film again, wasn't he." The blonde stated, shaking his head sadly.

Axel smirked and laid down on the sofa, gesturing for Demyx to come over with a jerk of his chin.

Demyx obliged and sat down with his legs curled up underneath him.

"Axey, will you tell me who it is yet?" he asked, fluttering his eyelashes pleadingly at the red-head who smirked.

"Tell you who what is, Dem?" he said innocently, blinking at the blonde.

"Ax_ey_, come on. Every year you find someone and have a thing with them. And don't even try to use Larxene as an excuse because I know you only went along with her because you didn't want to hurt her feelings. Or you were scared of her. Whatever."

Axel smirked again, "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

Demyx pouted, "Fine. But I'll get it out of you eventually." He muttered, crossing his arms and sulking.

The red-head rolled his eyes, "Aww… C'mon Dem. Don't go all sappy on me." He poked his with a foot, which Demyx pointedly ignored. Then he began tickling him and he broke down, unable to keep himself from laughing.

"Alright! Stop! Stoooop!"

Axel grinned and patted him on the head gently.

.x.X.x.

**Author's Note: **Bah. So, how was it? Seriously, let me know. I really want to know.

Anyway, i keep getting people saying things like "I just wish the chapters were longer" or "These chapters are kinda short, aren't they?" and i really agree with you. And i'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. But, hey, it's my style i guess. (actually, that's what lamie told me to say, but whatever.)

Look at the little purple button on the left hand side of the screen. Please press it (:

Nirii xx


	11. Awkward moments & Late Night Chats

**Author's Note: **Wow, the first day back at school was surprisingly good. :) So I decided to put up another chapter just so my mood can improve tomorow when things get worse. Ha, I'm kidding. Seriously, my school has clip on ties now. CLIP ON TIES! Yeah, I really don't like them.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

_-o-x-Chapter 11-x-o-_

Sora grinned as the doorbell rang and Roxas sprang up from his chair, where he had previously been falling asleep, running towards the door.

"Wow. I don't think I have ever seen Roxas so excited." Riku stated, raising his eyebrows at Sora.

The brunette shrugged slightly, "He's really missed them, I guess."

The slivery-haired boy nodded. He yawned, stretching his arms above his head and grunting in bliss as he felt his back crack. He slowly brought his arms down, letting one rest on the back of the couch.

Sora sighed contently as he heard a collective squeal coming from the kitchen. He leaned back into the sofa, jerking as he felt his head land on something hard. His eyes widened when he saw that it was Riku's arm.

He gulped, slowly moving his head away from the arm and looking at the person it belonged to who seemed oblivious to Sora's discomfort.

"Um…Ri…ku?"

"Yeah, what is it, Sor?" he asked, looking at the brunette.

Sora wriggled in his seat uncomfortably.

"Um… You- I- we…" he stammered nervously, glancing at the arm that was casually slung over the back of the sofa, behind his head.

Riku frowned, following Sora's gaze and blushed slightly, "I- err… sorry, I didn't realise…" he said, removing his arm.

"It's okay, forget it…"

Riku didn't say anything; he just stared at the brunette who was trying to avoid looking at him. A blush began to form on Sora's cheeks as he felt the other boy's eyes on him.

He leaned forward towards the brunette and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but he never got a chance. Sora jumped up off the sofa.

"Come on, Riku! I wanna make cookies!" he said running into the kitchen. He could hear his pulse throbbing in his head.

In the sitting room, Riku swore and punched the arm of the sofa in frustration.

He had been so damn close to doing something, even if he wasn't quite sure what that something was.

.o.O.o.

Roxas laughed as the three girls standing outside squealed when he opened the door. They all ran up to him and hugged him tightly. He smiled and hugged them back harder than he had even hugged anyone before, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

"We've missed you so much, Roxie!!" Rikku squealed, letting him go and bouncing excitedly, as if her trainers were fitted with springs.

The dark-haired girl mumbled something into Roxas' shoulder that made Rikku frown disapprovingly.

"Yuffie seems to think that she has missed you the most but she's wrong! _I_ missed you the most!"

Naminé rolled her eyes, "They have been having this fight even since you left." She explained.

Roxas chuckled quietly and the three girls ran outside to get their bags. They dragged them into the house, demanding Roxas to lead them to his room immediately. It took them three trips.

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck in confusion, "Um, why do you all have so much stuff?"

Yuffie plonked herself down onto his bed, "Because we're staying with you. And we don't travel light."

Roxas snorted, "Yeah, but how long are you staying for exactly? A month?" he joked sarcastically.

Rikku tutted, "Don't be silly! We're here for two weeks, if we were here for a whole month we'd nee-"

Roxas choked, "T-two weeks? Does my Aunt know?!"

Naminé patted him sympathetically, "Of course she does. We asked her if we could spend our holiday here and she seemed to think that it was a great idea."

Roxas blinked slowly in relief, "Oh… wait, you guys are on holiday?"

"Duh," Rikku said as if it were given, pulling him down onto his bed, "Did you ever _go_ to our school, Roxas? Our holidays are really weird, remember?"

He shrugged, "Whatever. I'm just glad you guys are here."

They all 'aww-ed' and hugged him again.

Aunt Jess walked into the room with a pile of clean clothes, she raised an eyebrow at the sight before her.

"You know, Roxas. If you were straight, you would be considered a _very_ lucky man…"

.o.O.o.

"So, Roxas," Rikku started, glancing at him while she picked off the remaining traces of nail polish on her nails, "Do you reckon there is anyone you might hook up with at your new school?"

Roxas blushed lightly. He was sitting crossed legged on his bed next to Rikku. Naminé and Yuffie were sleeping soundly on the floor. He'd been looking forward to the conversations like this, but now one had started; he wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm not sure really. I mean; I don't really know many people just yet. I've made friends with a few people. Zexion, he's a little bit of a mystery but he's a really nice guy and then there's Hayner, Pence and Olette. They seemed nice enough but then I thought they were ignoring me but they weren't. Anyway. They asked me to sit with them at lunch yesterday."

Rikku nodded, smiling slightly, "That sounds great. But is there anyone you might get together with? You know, as in…" she persisted.

"Well, there is this guy in my German class." He said, causing the female blonde to squeal in delight, "Yeah, I can't work him out though… It's like, one minute he's being all sly and sarcastic and it's seems like he's messing with my head or something, then he'll just suddenly start flirting with me. Well, I _think_ it's flirting."

Rikku looked puzzled and indicated for Roxas to carry on.

"The thing is, he's like… Demyx's best friend."

"But… isn't Demyx a senior?" she asked.

"Yeah," he confirmed, "but Axel's been held back, uh, twice."

"_Axel?_" Rikku giggled, "Isn't that like a car part?"

Roxas rolled his eyes in annoyance, choosing to ignore that comment.

When Rikku had, finally, stopped laughing she cleared her throat, "Well, if he's Demyx's best friend he must spend a lot of time here, am I right?"

Roxas nodded slowly, not sure of what she was getting at.

"Right. All I need is to see exactly how he acts around you so I can analyse the situation, then we can devise a plan to get you two together!"

"Rikku. I refused to do the 'Aloof Unavailable Ice Queen' act." He shuddered. "Not again..."

The blonde pouted at him, "Oh, come on, it wasn't _that_ bad. And besides," she fluttered her eyelashes in a way she obviously hoped would win him over, "it worked for Naminé!"

Roxas scowled, "That's different. Naminé is a girl."

"But she was still getting a the attention of a guy! So who's to say it won't work for you too?"

He sighed; she _did_ have a point.

.x.X.x.

**Author's note: **Oh, Rikku makes me laugh so much. xD

Thanks for all the reviews, guys! They made me very happy. Haha :D

nirii xx


	12. Name Stealers & Kissing Games

**beta:** i feel like i don't deserve the honour of reading all this before you lovely lot. i really want to tell you how absolutely AMAZING this chapter is, i don't know how you did it, nirii – but it is. i also want to mention that there is a song you should listen to whilst reading, 'cause it makes it really cool, an' i know that once i mention it a lot of you will immediately decide you hate me – but i BEG of you, don't, 'cause i love you. it's See You Again by Miley Cyrus. ack, seriously, you better review this story or else the review chickens (closely related to the plot bunnies) will peck your eyes out. LOVE xx

**Author's Note: **Um, yeah, okay. I just hope you think it's as good as she did.

_-o-x-Chapter 12-x-o-_

"What time is it?"

"About thirty seconds after the last time you asked."

"Oh…"

Rikku was bored. No, correction, Rikku was bored stiff. Roxas had been woken up at the crack of dawn by an excited Sora (who told them that Roxas would probably "only be a few more minutes...") and had been swept off to the mall by his Aunt. She really regretted not going with them, but mornings were not her strong point, especially after long late-night chats that caused her to think about Roxas and his 'boy troubles.'

She shuffled on the sofa, her eyes wandering around the flowery-patterned room, searching for something - anything - that would quench her persistent boredom. Her eyes settled on the three people talking on the couch to her left.

"So, Mr Yes-I-Did-Steal-Your-Name-And-Get-Rid-Of-One-Of-The-Letters." She said loudly, causing everyone to look at her in confusion, or bored interest.

The slivery-haired boy blinked at her several times, "Are you talking to me?"

Rikku rolled her eyes, "No, dumbass, I was talking to the other million Riku's in here."

"Oh. Okay." He looked away from her and carried on with the conversation he had previously been having with the brunette on his right and the red-head on his left.

The blonde sighed dramatically: some people really didn't get sarcasm. She pulled herself off the armchair she was slumped on and squeezed into the small gap between Riku and Kairi who leapt apart in surprise.

"I heard you got dumped, Mr. Name Stealer. Are you heart broken? Distressed? _Depressed_?" she grinned, striking overly dramatic poses.

She gave him a look of glee as he shifted uncomfortably, "I- err… I don't really…" he trailed off, looking at Kairi and Sora with desperate eyes.

Rikku noticed that the red-head was blushing heavily, even though she was trying very hard to hide it and look calm. She turned to look at Sora who was shuffling in his seat in discomfort.

"You're not in some kind of weird kinky three-some are you?" she asked, intrigued though the mere thought of it made her stomach churn. You could almost hear Naminé eyes rolling like marbles and Yuffie tried - and failed - not to laugh as Riku, Sora and Kairi all gave Rikku a look of pure horror.

"…W_hat_?" the blonde said innocently, "I was only asking! Sheesh… I'll take it as a 'no'."

Then they heard the door open and the sound of voices in the hall, and the smell of an autumn breeze swept through the house.

Rikku cried out in joy, pushed herself off the sofa using Riku's head as a lever. The said head was pushed towards the brunette's which caused their cheeks to smush against each other causing Sora to blush and stammer and Kairi to smirk happily to herself.

The blonde flung herself into the kitchen, not looking, and latched herself on to the first person she found, "Roxie!" she squealed, then suddenly stopped, "Wait…" she stepped back, "_you're_ not Roxas!"

The surprised boy gave her a strange look, "No, I'm-"

"Axel! Are you going to give me a hand or what?" came an annoyed sounding voice from outside, which she recognised to be Demyx.

"Yeah, sure Dem." He smirked at the blonde who was starting at him open mouthed and placed two fingers under her chin and pushed it up until her mouth closed, "You wouldn't want something to fly in there now, would you."

Rikku scowled and pouted at him, "Don't touch me," she batted his hand away and gave him a piercing look as if he were a particularly hard book to read, "So, _you're_ Axel…"

"Well, I was last time I checked." He answered, even though it was more of a passing statement than a question.

Demyx came stumbling through the door carrying a very heavy cardboard box. He set it down in the counter, panting, and glared at the red-head, "Oh, thanks for all the help, _Axel_."

"Sorry, Dem. But I'm sure you needed the exercise more than I did." He replied, poking the grumpy boy in the chest.

Demyx muttered darkly under his breath until he noticed Rikku staring at them and his face brightened, "Hey! How are ya?"

She blinked for a while before slumping down onto the breakfast bar, "I though you two were Roxas!" she whined.

Demyx pouted, "What's wrong with _us_?"

The only answer he received was a pair of raised eyebrows and a doubtful expression.

"Okay. Fine. Whatever." Demyx said, feeling a little put-out by the fact that his company wasn't valued as much as his cousin's, "We past them on our way here so they'll be here, uh, well now."

As he finished talking, they heard a screech of brakes and what sounded like an exhausted engine being turned off.

Rikku's head shot up off the table, a bright grin plastered on her face.

"Yuffie! Naminé! He's hereee!"

There was a clattering from the living room and two more girls burst into the kitchen, a short blonde and a tall brunette.

"I am _never_ going in a car with you again! You're a crazy driver!" Roxas was standing on in the doorway, glaring at Jess who was looking a little sheepish.

"Aww, Roxas! Don't be such a spoilsport! Don't ya think it was fun when you tried to grab the steering wheel from me but you turned it the wrong way and we nearly hit that old-"

"It wasn't _funny_! It was very- mumpf."

He was cut off by Rikku, Naminé and Yuffie all hugging him.

"Come on, Roxie!" Yuffie grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the living room.

Axel raised his eyebrows in confusion at Demyx who shrugged, "It gets worse, believe me."

.x.x.x.

"Come on guys! Get into a circle around me." Yuffie insisted.

"Why?" Sora asked, staring at the bottle in the dark-haired girl's hand as if she was going to hit him with it.

"We're going to play Spin the Bottle, of course!"

A collective groan went around the group then:

"Yay!" Rikku squealed and sat herself down on the floor as the start of the circle.

"Double yay with knobs on." Roxas said sarcastically, sitting down next to her.

Rikku giggled madly, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek and hugging him tightly.

Naminé sighed, realising what Yuffie was going to try to do, and joined the incomplete circle on Rikku's other side.

When the others showed no sign of moving, Yuffie threatened to shove a spatula down each of their throats, she even started walking towards the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, they all sat down, albeit unwillingly, and completed the circle.

"Right," Yuffie threw the bottle up into the air and caught it expertly as it spiraled down, "I wonder who will get to go first?" she shared a secret wink with Rikku that made Roxas' stomach churn: he had a really bad feeling about this.

She sat down in between Sora and Riku and set the bottle spinning. He started at it, feeling a little dizzy but then he sighed in relief as it stopped at Kairi. She groaned and slapped her forehead, obviously annoyed. Roxas laughed a little, though he was sure he would regret it later, praising the good lord in heaven that he wasn't in her position.

Yuffie grinned and spun the bottle again. Roxas thought for one, horrific, moment that it was going to land of him. But it slowly crept past him, past Rikku and stopped in front of Sora.

The brunette started at the bottle and gulped. Roxas smirked slightly as he noticed Riku's face; he looked ready to kill.

_'If you take the time to look, it's really obvious that there is something going on between the three of them,'_ he thought, _'I'll have to ask Sora about it later…'_

"Well?" Rikku was looking at them expectantly, twirling one of her plait around a finger, "Go on then."

Sora shifted slightly, you could notice his discomfort a mile away.

"We're wai_ting_…" Demyx said, drumming his fingers impatiently.

The brunette shut his eyes, thinking how _wrong_ this was and pressed his lips against Kairi's. After about ten seconds he couldn't bare it anymore, her lips felt too full, her scent was too over-powering, so he pulled away. He gave Kairi an apologetic look and she pulled a face, indicating how awkward the situation had been.

Yuffie giggled and sat the bottle spinning again. Roxas tensed up every time the bottle came towards him but fortunately, the bottle stopped at Rikku. She burst out laughing, which received some strange looks and the bottle was spun again. This time it landed on Demyx. Axel patted him on the back and Demyx shrugged, pointing out that it was only a game. They barely kissed what with Rikku giggling insanely and Demyx smirking and grinning at the situation.

Roxas thought the game would stop, simply because everyone would get bored, but Yuffie was determined that everyone would have a turn and started spinning the bottle again.

It landed on Riku who rolled his eyes in a bored fashion and then sighed when it landed on Yuffie herself. Riku leaned in and kissed her softly, thinking what a good opportunity to make Sora jealous. Wait. He must have meant Kairi. Yuffie was blushing slightly as he pulled away and went to sit back in his seat. He gave her a quick wink before turning his attention to Sora. The brunette looked a little put out which made Riku smile in a satisfied way. Which he found rather odd.

Yuffie set the bottle spinning again and Roxas felt a terrible clenching sensation in his stomach as it slowed and pointed to Axel. He watched the bottle as it spun to select his "partner", willing it to point anywhere but himself then thinking that actually it wouldn't be too bad if it did point him because, you know, he'd get to kiss Axel and that would be really cool. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the bottle slipped past Naminé, past Rikku and pointed in the space between him and Rikku. She twirled one of her plaits innocently and nudged the bottle towards Roxas with her toe.

Demyx's eyebrows shot up, Naminé giggled, Kairi bit her lip trying to prevent herself from laughing, Sora looked pale, Riku whistled and Yuffie and Rikku shared a look of glee.

Roxas just blinked, trying not to show too much emotion, non at all would have been better but that was a very hard feat for Roxas.

"Spin it again," Demyx said, "I really don't want to watch this."

"You don't _have to_. They could go outside." Rikku said, glaring at him.

Roxas tried to see what Axel was thinking but his face was as blank as a mask. Damn him.

"Well, it _is_ meant to be boy-girl." Riku pointed out before backing down at the glares he received.

"Yes, Well. It's boy-_boy_ this time." Yuffie snapped at him, "Besides, Roxas is gay anyway."

"But… Axel isn't," Demyx said uneasily.

Yuffie and Rikku's jaws dropped, they looked like two young children who'd been told that Christmas had been cancelled.

Roxas held his head in his hands, wondering why on _earth_ he had been stupid enough to tell his friends that there was a possibility he might just like Axel.

Then the red-head piped up, "Actually, I'm pretty open. It doesn't matter to me."

Demyx goggled at him, "What? You never told me this!"

Axel had the grace to look sheepish, "Uh, you never asked… Sorry, Dem."

He shrugged, "Eh, forget it. At least I know now." He grinned manically and cackled.

Rikku rolled her eyes impatiently, "For god's sake, get _on_ with it!"

Yuffie giggled, "You can still go outside if you want…"

Axel smirked and looked at Roxas who was feeling like he'd just been sold as a slave. The red-head stood up and held his hand out to Roxas who looked at it sheepishly.

"Fine." He took Axel's hand, stood up and let himself be pulled out of the room. He glanced back at Rikku, Naminé and Yuffie; all of whom were looking as though Christmas had finally come early, his own expression blatantly said: 'I am going to get you for this… Oh yes I am. When you least expect it.'

The blonde closed the door behind him and looked around for Axel. He blushed when he saw him leaning against the wall, smirking. The red-head jerked his chin in a 'come here' gesture, Roxas mentally smacked himself for doing it so quickly because he knew what would come next.

He stumbled and almost, quite literally, fell into the red-head's arms.

"Well, that's one way to do it." Axel smirked.

Roxas blushed heavily and started to apologise but he was cut off. Again.

"Shh. We're supposed to be kissing."

Axel cupped Roxas' chin in his hand, titled it upwards and leaned forward. Then all Roxas could think about was the red-head's lips. On his. He was _kissing _him. The Mexican band that lived in Roxas' head broke out into song, maracas and all, in celebration. Instinctively, one of his hands went up and touch the arm that was holding his head in place. Then, he pulled away.

Roxas opened his eyes to look at the red-head and he could have swore there was a smile playing around his face. He smiled back shyly, he didn't remember ever feeling so uncomfortable yet happy in his life.

Axel coughed after a few seconds of them just staring at each other, "We should…" he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, cracking his neck, "go back inside." He pointed towards the door.

Roxas' smile vanished: he'd almost forgotten that they were just playing a game.

.x.X.x.

**author's note:** Aww... that last bit made me sadddd D: Poor little Roxie. But still, THE PLOT THICKENS! bhahaaha. Well, kinda. ANYHOO! I hope you enjoyed that chapter, i'm already writing the next one because once I start i find it a little hard to stop. Until i get writer's block. So, um, yes. Reviews would be nice, they always are :D

nirii xx


	13. Jumping to Conclusions

_-o-x-Chapter 13-x-o-_

Roxas tripped and almost fell flat on his face as his three best friends forced him into his bedroom.

They made him sit on the bed and began their interrogation. He was just glad they didn't turn off the lights and shine a torch in his face. Bright lights made his eyes water.

"What was it like?"

"Aren't ya happy with what we did for ya?"

"Do you know if you defiantly like him now?"

He blinked at them all, feeling slightly intimidated at the way they were all looking at him.

"Umm, well. It was okay…"

Naminé raised her eyebrows at him doubtfully, "Only okay? It must have been more than okay, you were out there for at _least_ four minutes."

Roxas frowned at her, "Were you timing us or something?"

Rikku clicked her tongue impatiently and Yuffie looked at him in what she hoped was a sinister way. It didn't really work, but he decided to make them happy and tell them anyway.

"Alright, alright. It was good. Really good."

They all 'aww-ed' and grinned at him. He was unable to keep a shy smile off his face.

"So, do you know if you like him for definite now?" Rikku asked, tilting her head to the side and picking at his deep blue duvet cover.

Roxas blushed and nodded without hesitating, causing Rikku and Yuffie to squeal and Naminé to smile fondly at him.

"Excellent, Phase One of Operation: Get Roxas His Little Boy Toy- who's not really not little he's actually really tall but that doesn't matter because Roxas _likes _tall guys and he's really hot, is complete."

"Operation _what_?" Roxas gave them all a confused look, though he found it rather amusing.

Yuffie crossed her arms, "I told you my name for it was better…" she muttered.

"What was it?" Roxas asked, intrigued.

Operation Get Roxas into Ax-"

"You really don't want to know," Naminé interjected, scrunching up her face and wrinkling her nose, "It was worse. Much worse."

The dark-haired girl pouted, "Hey! It wasn't _that_ bad!"

"Whatever," Rikku held a hand up to silence them, "Phase Two begins on Monday."

They all nodded in unison, with the exception of Roxas who looked worried and was trying hard not too imagine them forcing him to declare his undying love in an extremely embarrassing way. Like over the school radio system.

"Um… What _is_ Phase Two?" he asked them, looking at them all in turn nervously.

"Do a Hawaiian dance in front of him!" Yuffie said, bursting into a fit of laughter and shaking in her seat.

Rikku smacked her over the head and Naminé rolled her eyes, "Don't he stupid. That's Phase thirty-two." She said primly.

"_What?!_" Roxas exclaimed. There was _no way_ he was going to do a Hawaiian dance in front of Axel. He'd only ever done that on New Year's Eve when he was drunk. _Very_ drunk.

Naminé patted his shoulder in a reassuring way, "Don't worry - it won't come to that. Our guess is that he will crack somewhere in the twenties, though it will probably be earlier due to the way Phase One went…"

This made him feel slightly better, but not much.

"So… what _is_ Phase Two?" he asked, unsure if he really wanted to know.

Rikku cleared her throat and puffed out her chest in the manner of someone who was about to make a very long, boring and important speech, "Ahem. Phase Two of Operation Get Roxas His- well, The Plan is the easiest stage. All you have to do is bump into Axel accidentally. But, of course, it will not be an accident. It is of vital importance that he does not realise that you did it on purpose and you mustn't bump into him too hard. Comprendé?"

Roxas smiled. He could do that easily. No problem what so ever.

"Yes, sir!" he mock saluted her and she coughed at him, "Oh… Yes, _ma'am_!"

She grinned, "Much better. Now." She resumed her serious expression, "You _must_ keep us up to date with what is going on with you and Axel. For example, if he winks at you; you tell us. If he drags you into a store closet and shags your brains out, you tell us. Though, I'd expect you to tell us if _anyone_ did that and they'd get to see the bad side of my right hook… but anyway. You got it?"

He nodded, a little surprised by how blatant she was being and the fact that she managed to keep a straight face through out her little speech, but then he remembered that – oh yeah – this was Rikku.

"Excellent!" she flung her arms around his neck, "Ohh! You make such a good gay best friend!"

Roxas smiled contently and held his arms out to Yuffie and Naminé who also fell into them cheerfully.

He was lucky to have such great friends. He could trust on them to always be there for him when he needed them. They were trying their very hardest to set him up with a guy he really liked, and if it didn't work out he knew he could rely on them to be there ready and armed with consoling words, hugs and hot chocolate.

.x.X.x.

Sora grinned at the sound of laughter coming from his cousin's room. He was glad that Roxas had his old friends here at such a hard time, because they would be taking his mind off all the drama that had happened recently. He had half a mind to walk right in and join them because he was worried that when he got to his room there would just be a stilted conversation with Riku during which he would probably make an absolute idiot out of himself. Or fall asleep. Which would actually be quite a good excuse for not _having_ an awkward conversation.

He looked behind him to see Riku shaking his head in amusement.

"What?" the brunette asked.

"I'd never have imagined Roxas to have such… well, energetic and loud friends. Though, Naminé is pretty quiet so I guess she balances it out."

Sora chuckled lightly, "Yeah." He opened the door to his bedroom and flopped onto his bed.

_'Oh my god. He fancies Naminé doesn't he! He was just thinking about her. And he told me. He was hinting at the fact that he fancies her! That is really not fair. This is just a bad idea, Kairi. Riku is just too damn straight to be gay. I mean, he practically got off with Yuffie in Spin the Bottle! He'll never like me because I don't have boobs!'_

He slapped his forehead, telling his imagination to shut the hell up. Thinking about his low self-esteem.

Riku laughed softly at the way the brunette exhaled heavily and clutched the duvet around him. He went over to Sora's desk and sat in the comfortable blue computer chair. His eyes wandering over to the massive notice board that covered almost a whole wall, it was filled with photos mainly of Sora, Kairi and himself. He relished the memories and couldn't prevent himself from laughing at one particular photo.

Sora looked up from his pillow and gave Riku a questioning look, "What?"

"That photo…" he said nodding in the direction of it.

"Which one?" the brunette asked, following his gaze, "Oh, that one. That was a seriously weird day." He said, shaking his head and laughing.

Riku grinned. Kairi had dared Sora to go to school dressed in 'rapper' clothes when they were about eleven. She'd insisted on taking a photo, despite the brunette's protests that he didn't want anyone to remember that day. He'd eventually given in and Kairi had pushed the button just as Riku had nicked Sora's hat so he was pouting like crazy.

_'He always looks so cute when he does that…'_ Riku thought with a small smile. _'Wait. Where did that some from?'_ he shook his head, screwing up his eyes quickly to try and get the thought out of his head. He should _not_ be having those thoughts. Especially about Sora.

"What's wrong?"

Riku snapped his head around to see the brunette looking at him with his eyebrows slightly raised.

"I-err… nothing." He said, grinning awkwardly.

Sora flipped onto his back, staring up at the ceiling with his hands cushioning his head, "Whatever."

Riku looked down at his hands, picking at a hangnail on his right thumb, "Sora… Do you know why Kairi broke up with me?"

The brunette mentally screamed: this was not good. He hadn't had a chance to discuss with Kairi what he should say if Riku started a conversation like this and he was terrible at making things up on the spot.

"I… um, what did she say exactly?" he said, buying himself time to come up with a half decent reason for Kairi's actions. One that wasn't the _real_ reason.

"Well, she just said stuff like she didn't really think of me in that way and she preferred me as a friend. That kind of stuff."

"Uh, I guess that's the reason then…?"

Riku shrugged, "I _guess_… But she never showed any signs that she wasn't happy before."

Sora shuffled, '_Could this be anymore awkward?'_

"Maybe she just, uh, changed her mind… _I_ don't know…"

"Yeah, you're probably right…" he said, looking downcast.

_'He must have really liked her to be acting this, well, sad. Riku doesn't really get sad.'_ The brunette thought, _'I should never have agreed to let Kairi do this… it's not fair on either of them.'_

"You're… really cut up about this, aren't you Riku?"

He heard the slivery-haired boy sigh, "I dunno… I mean, I really like Kairi but it didn't really upset me when she dumped me like I thought it probably would. It was like something else was just stuck in my mind. I just wanted to know if there was another reason she did it, other than the one she gave me."

Sora bit his bottom lip; he wondered if this was a good time to tell Riku. The slivery-haired boy must have noticed him hesitating he gave Sora a funny look.

"Sora… you would tell me if there was another reason, wouldn't you?"

"I…err…" he rubbed the back of his head self-consciously, before letting a fake grin take over his whole face, "Of course I would! We're bes..." he gulped, slightly, his smile faltering. "We're best friends; we tell each other everything."

Riku observed Sora carefully. He was lying and he knew it. This was it, their friendship would go downhill from here, Riku could tell. "Yep," he said, his throat suddenly dry. "Everything." Funny what a bit of love does to your life.

.x.X.x.

**Author's note: **Aww… Poor Sora. BLESS 'IM. How little he knows…

**Review replies: **

_Cloaked Nocturne XV_ - I also wish that Axel could have been a bit better to him. Damn that boy. But, alas, it is the plot.

_UberBex _- Yes, the Mexican band. They are totally awesome. :D

_SporkFilledDeath345 _- First, I just want to say, I loved your review! There, done. :D Yeah, the Mexican band is totally awesome. It really is kick ass! I'm trying to make everything as realistic as possible and I really _like_ the whole 'gay best friend' thing. I have one too! It's quite funny really, because what Rikku, Yuffie and Naminé are doing reminds me of what me and another friend did to him. And, may I say, it totally worked! The "Mr. Yes-I-Did-Steal-Your-Name-And-Get-Rid-Of-One-Of-The-Letters" part made you laugh? That is good, because I intended it to. It's just what I thought Rikku would be like towards Riku cuz she's cool like that. Oh, that's for the constructive criticism as well! It actually made me happy that someone was trying to help me get better. xD

_DarkHenrych _- Yeah… It prolly was over-used, I'm like that. So sue me! Lol.  
THANK YOU for pointing out that mistake! I've fixed it now. Thank you so much, I hate having mistakes, they annoy me so much…  
Wow, the grammar nazi? That sounds pretty good. I really need to find myself a cool name like that. XD I hope your muse uh… fixes well? Hahaha.  
Roxas is so blind to the truth. But it's so fun. It really is.

Don't worry, I won't take offence! I never do. I'm always just happy that there is a review and I snaffle it up before anyone else can take it away. Okay, that sounds really weird. o.O Forget I said that.

_EriNicoleAndUKnowIt _- Thank you! I really don't like Miley Cyrus either… but, you know, if the song fits and all that… Also, a very special thank you because you have reviewed almost every chapter! Which makes me really (_reaaaallllyyyy)_ happy. :D

Lamatikah: Hehe I didn't review, so I shall now berate myself. Yes, this is lamie. All the others are by Nirii. THE COOL FACE. That is who she is. Well, -berate, berate- There. My work here is done. Xx

**Author's note: **Okay, so, I am wayyyy ahead of myself here. I've already finished chapter fourteen. And I totally know what's going to happen in chapter fifteen. God, you guys are gonna love it. Well, I HOPE you are. Otherwise I shall cry. (not literally…)

So! Read, review, party, enjoy life…

nirii xx


	14. Mishaps & Misunderstandings

_-o-x-Chapter 14-x-o-_

Roxas scowled at his locker and tried the combination again. The day had _not_ been good so far. Rikku had 'forgotten' to turn on his alarm clock before she fell asleep, so he had woken up with twenty minutes to get up, dressed and get to school. He'd managed do it in twenty-four minutes, so he was only a little but late, but it hadn't put him in a very good mood. Especially as his locker seemed to be broken.

So, feeling as though the whole world was somehow conspiring against him, he picked his messenger bag up off the floor, slung it over his shoulders and walked down the corridor.

His mind wondered to what he was supposed to be doing today. It sounded really quite stupid that merely bumping into someone could actually do what they were planning. Though, it was only the second stage of the plan.

German had been almost normal, despite the goings on at the weekend. Axel had been his usual confusing self and Roxas had just played along.

He was just thinking that it didn't look like he was going to get a chance to do what Naminé, Yuffie and Rikku had instructed him to do when he saw the very person he needed.

The first proper smile of the day worked its way onto the face as he moved to the left slightly so that the red-head would be almost directly in his path.

When he was about three feet away, he bent his head down and pretended to be rearranging his bag.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Axel walking straight towards him. He was with a tall blonde girl who had a smirk that could _almost_ rival the red-head's. Or possibly not.

Roxas braced himself; he would have to make this look as natural as possible. He started to unzip his bag as slowly as possible and then-

"Ouch!" he smacked right into Axel.

"Hey, watch it kid," the red-head said, pushing him away gently, "Oh, Roxas. I should have known it was you."

"M'sorry…" he mumbled.

_'Damn it. I never asked what I was supposed to say after I'd bumped into him. Crap, crap, shit, bugger. What do I say?'_

Axel just shrugged before winking at him and walking away.

Roxas sighed. He didn't know if he had done it right or not. All he knew is that he had managed to get a wink. And that must count for something, right?

What he _didn't_ notice what the icy glare he had been receiving the whole time from the blonde Axel had been walking with.

.x.X.x.

Sora stared at her.

"You want me to do _what_?!" he exclaimed, giving her a disbelieving look.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" she pressed a finger to her lips and glared at him in a forceful way.

"Okay, sorry," he whispered, "It's just… I don't know if I can do that."

She sighed, "Why not? You'll do it great, I'm sure."

"But… I don't think I _can_, Kairi… I'm so bad at explaining things and I just ramble on and on and then nobody understands me except you and Riku… At least I _think_ you can understand what I'm saying. I really hope you can because otherwise that would be even more embarrassing."

Kairi grinned, "Ex_actly_" Only me and _Riku_ can understand what you mean. So there's no problem."

"There isn't?" he asked, looking bewildered.

"Of course there isn't. It is Riku you are going to be talking to and if he can understand what you are saying it doesn't matter if you ramble."

"Oh… are you sure?"

She rolled her Kohl-rimmed eyes, "_Yes_! Otherwise I wouldn't have said it."

"Do I really have to do it? What if he is disgusted and pushes me away and hates me forever and spits on me when he sees me?"

Kairi smacked him lightly over the head, "Don't be silly Sora! He won't reject you. Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?"

Sora bit his bottom lip and looked away. She raised two fingers to her forehead.

"Don't answer that. Okay, you said in the conversation between you and Riku that other day that he said that he wasn't really upset when I dumped him because there was something else on his mind. That something was _you_. And did you see the way he looked straight at you after he kissed Yuffie in spin the bottle? He was seeing how you would react! He was obviously trying to make you jealous. And don't think you haven't noticed him staring at you throughout the whole of today! He's obviously smitten."

The brunette looked back at her, his eyes were wide and full of hope. "…Really?"

"Definitely," she confirmed, nodding and patting him on the shoulder in a reassuring way.

"Okay, If you're sure…" he said, feeling a little more optimistic than before. "So… when are we going to do it?"

She grinned, "Well, I thought this evening might be a good time."

Sora choked and his bright blue eyes widened, "Wha-what? Today? This evening? That's a bit early, isn't it?"

"No, Sora. The evening is a later part of the day," she said, suppressing a giggle.

"No… I meant it's a little… soon?" he squeaked, eyes now wide and looking at Kairi incredulously.

"So? The sooner the better, right? You were saying earlier that you didn't think you could handle lying for much longer."

"I guess," he said, sighing helplessly. He really wasn't sure if he was ready to 'reveal all' to Riku. Despite Kairi's insistence that Riku liked him _in that way_ as well, he couldn't help but worry that he was going to lose one of his oldest and best friends.

"Don't worry about it Sora. If he takes it the wrong way or something I'll jump out of the bushes and say that you're on crack or something."

Sora grinned and hugged her, "That sounds great."

Kairi hugged him back tightly, laughing at the sarcasm in his voice.

"Hey, what's up?"

They pulled apart and looked at the new comer in surprise.

"Hey, Riku," Kairi said, her eyes wide, wondering if he had heard their conversation, "I-err… Sora was just telling me that he… didn't want to do track running…?"

Riku gave her a funny look, "Err… Okay," he turned to Sora, "We'd better go. We'll get detention if we're late."

Sora cringed, remembering the last time he'd had detention with Mr. Highwind. It was not a very pleasant memory.

"Yeah, I'll see you later, Kai." He said, waving at the red-head and following Riku out of the door.

He started at him. There had been something in Riku's eyes when he had spoken to them just now. The aqua eyes were normally bright and open, but it had seemed like there was a solid barrier behind them, making him almost unreadable.

Sora didn't know what it was. Maybe it was annoyance. Possibly anger.

No, that didn't seem right.

It was more like confusion.

"So..." said Riku, shaking free of his previous look of bewilderment, and obviously trying to initiate some sort of conversation.

"Heh heh," Sora said, rubbing the back of his head. "So..."

Sora stared at the floor, unwilling to meet Riku's eyes. It was funny to think that just this evening he would be admitting undying love for this boy, but now he was just casually walking next to him. Well, casual might not be the word. It was awkward, very awkward. There was a tense chill which sent shivers down Sora's spine.

"Still don't know why Kairi dumped me?" asked Riku, breaking ice.

Sora made a muffled squeak which he was sure Riku caught. "No... no idea," the younger muttered. Oh God, thought Sora. Oh God, he knows, _he knows_ and he's trying to be all nice and bravado about it all. Sora mentally smacked himself.

"Ah," murmured Riku. Sora felt sick. He couldn't stand it anymore. It was too hard, he had to get away – maybe he could go to the nurse. Yeah, he could say he had stomach upset – which wasn't too far from the truth anyway. But Riku beat him to it -

"I'm going to go see the nurse," he said. "I don't feel too good."

Sora was left to stumble to the lesson on his own.

.x.X.x.

This is it, thought Riku. This is the end. Obviously Sora and Kairi are planning to get together and they can't tell me because they think I'll be upset about Kairi.

He stopped round a corner, pressing his fists into his eyes. He let out a muffled whine.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." He brushed a few angry tears from his eyes. "Fuck it." Was he crying? It all felt so wrong... He had only gone out with Kairi because he had thought it would make him more popular to have a girlfriend. But his plan had backfired. He didn't want to be popular. He wanted... Damnit, he wanted Sora.

He just wanted Sora.

"Oh, Sora..." he moaned. "What have you done to me?"

.x.X.x.

**review replies:**

_DarkHenrych _- LOL that's good. I hate the little buggers, I swear the mistakes just sneak in to annoy us. D:  
Well, you just found out what Riku thinks Kairi dumped him for. But how wrong he is… Sill-eh boy.

I love Rikku too. She is one of my all time favourite characters. She is totally awesome :D It's quite funny really, I was talking to my beta while I was writing chapter 12 I think. And I was all "damnit. I don't know what to write like for Rikku." And she said "uh, just write what you would be like… you're enough like her anyway." Which made me laugh.

I'm glad you liked that chapter! I enjoyed writing it. I am also glad that you love this whole story! I love it too. I will be so sad when I finish it… D:

_Varchsadow _- Heh… I live to make people laugh. I really do XD

The operation name just came into my head automatically and I was surprised that it was actually good. Heh.

Inspiration? Yeah, I like that stuff. It's a very nice feeling :D

_Peachie Bunni _- hahahaaa. That really would be fun… sexuation, that is a damn good word. You should apply to get it into the dictionary. xD Yeah, I do too. It would be so damn fun to write :D

_Cloaked Nocturne XV _- THANK YOU! -cries- that was such a nice review…

_SporkFilledDeath345 _- Rikku makes everyone laugh. It's really funny cuz in nearly every review for the later chapter's they go "Rikku made me laugh so much!" or "Rikku is so funny!" or "I love Rikku!" and I'll all LAWL. Yeah, I'm sad xD

Writer's block on a review? Wow. Nice one. XD

_UberBex _- Certain other things will indeed go up! Thanks to the lack of pants on Sora. -nodshead- very good.

**author's note: **I hope you enjoyed that chapter. If you didn't I am very sorry. I love the next chapter. I really do :D

read, review, party, enjoy life...

nirii xx


	15. Geese & Girls

_o-x-Chapter 15-x-o-_

Riku stared at the large fruit bowl in front of him. The geese that decorated it glared back at him. Their expressions were all the same. Happy, their proud heads lifted aloft, their slender necks bent towards him elegantly. They were taunting him, and he knew it. They were telling him how stupid he was, he just knew it.

He sighed.

Those geese weren't even _breathing__._

The silvery-haired boy shook his head; he didn't want to be mentally arguing with a bloody fruit bowl. It was unnecessary.

He sat down on one of the tall stools surrounding the breakfast bar, leaning his head on his forearms. From where he was sat he could see the kitchen. He remembered that Sora had once set fire to that kitchen. That had been an eventful day indeed, and Sora had never been allowed to cook at his house again. Riku gave a chuckle, then realised that Sora would probably never enter that kitchen again. He quickly looked away, only to remember how he had looked away from Sora, how awkward it had been between them recently.

Looking out over into the hallway, he couldn't help but reminisce over all the times he and Sora had played together in his house. The living room, they had first played tug-of-war over a glass coffee table - an ex-glass coffee table. The dining room, they had pretended to be waiters and served Riku's family, with disastrous effects, obviously. Those waiters must have had a (literally) crash course in putting plates on their arms. The study where they had watched various films on Riku's dad's computer together. That had been... nice. Not awkward.

Riku didn't like it. Riku didn't like it one bit. He had to admit to himself that he and Sora were no longer friends. He couldn't hang around with the love of his life, while said love ogled after their girl best friend. But Riku also had to admit to himself that he couldn't just sit inside and have everything remind him of Sora. Sweet, sensitive, clumsy Sora.

He had to get out, he had to leave. He couldn't stay here. He'd run away, he'd cross the ocean and seek some beauty from a distant land then bring her back to Hollow Bastion in time for Sora and Kairi's wedding. Yeah, he'd do that. He wouldn't need much, just his coat and some munny, then he'd be away.

But before he could do anything, there was a ring - at the door. Riku paused. There was another ring. And another. And another. Then two more. The pattern sounded frighteningly familiar. His heart stopped for a few seconds before he slowly, very slowly, made his way to the door.

He put his suddenly clammy hand on the door handle and turned it, a sense of dread settling in the pit of his stomach.

He blinked in surprise at the figure on the other side of the doorframe. It was Sora. But he had expected that, the knock had given it away, so that wasn't what had surprised him. It was what Sora was holding that surprised him. Unless he was very much mistaken, it was a flower. And a very tired-looking flower at that.

Riku blinked again. Several times. Maybe if he blinked enough the hallucination would go away. Because that's what it was, right? It couldn't be _real._ Why on earth would Sora be standing on Riku's doorstep holding a flower.

"Um… Riku?"

The silvery-haired boy stopped blinking and stared at the brunette, forcing himself to accept that Sora really was standing on his doorstep. Holding a flower.

"…Sora?"

The brunette shuffled from one foot to the other, repeatedly glancing over his right shoulder.

"I-err…" Sora smiled in a strange way, as if he had no idea what he was doing, and bit his bottom lip worriedly.

Riku just stared at him. The boy was acting very strangely, that was for sure, and Riku had half a mind to shut the door in his face and go back to his angsting, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it.

Just the sight of Sora's nervous smile made him want to wrap his arms around him and never let go. But he couldn't do that either.

He lurched out of his thoughts as he heard one of the bushes rustling and a hushed whisper. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion.

Sora looked up at him and Riku almost melted, he looked petrified. Riku tried to shake himself out of it. He did not melt damn it!

The brunette mumbled something completely incoherent under his breath and looked up at him hopefully.

Riku blinked, "You what? I didn't get that…"

Sora shuffled around again, took a deep breath and said, staring at Riku's shoes, "Riku... I... have to tell... you something? I really... like you... and I have done... for a very... long time... heh." The brunette exhaled loudly, as though a large weight had just been lifted off his chest.

Riku just stood there, stunned to silence, his eyebrows raised and his mouth open slightly in surprise.

"I-I'd better go…" Sora said, biting his bottom lip and he began to walk away, his whole posture slumped in defeat.

Instinctively Riku reached out and grabbed the brunette's arm, stopping him.

"Wait," he said.

He didn't know what else to say or do so he just leaned down and softly pressed his lips on to Sora's. He felt the brunette stiffen in surprise so he pulled away. (**A/N:** did that sound wrong? :S **beta:** you do make me lol, nirii)

"I-um, sorry. I shouldn't have don-"

He was interrupted by Sora grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him down into another kiss.

Riku smiled into it and he felt Sora sigh in happiness. Then he heard a catcall and cheering. He frowned in confusion as Sora pulled away and he looked up to see a ruffled-looking Kairi jumping up and down squealing and whistling, he raised his eyebrows at the leaves that were stuck in her hair and the scratch down her left cheek. Now, he was really confused.

She ran towards them and pulled both of them into an impossibly tight hug.

"Oh my god! Now I have _two_ gay best friends! And they look really really hot together! Wait 'till I tell Selphie!"

And with that she kissed them both on the cheek, released them, winked and ran down the road.

Riku looked back at Sora, completely bewildered, but Sora just grinned manically and shrugged.

Riku narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Did you and Kairi plan this?"

Sora squeaked, "Umm… Maybe?" he said, rubbing the back of his head guiltily and shooting the silvery-haired boy a winning smile.

Riku laughed, "That means yes."

Sora grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, that's why me and Kairi looked so alarmed when you came over to us before Phys-Ed today… aheh…"

"Oh! I-I thought that…" Riku trailed off, mentally smacking himself for jumping to conclusions.

Sora looked at him imploringly, his head tilted to one side, "What did you think?"

Riku cringed at his own stupidity and mentally vowed never to tell anyone what he had thought at the moment, "It doesn't matter. Ah!" he held a finger up when Sora began to protest, "All that matters right now is your answer to my question."

"What question?" Sora asked, his eyes wide, sparking with hope.

"I haven't asked it yet."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Are you going to?"

Riku gulped, he didn't know why he was nervous because Sora had made it perfectly obvious that he liked him, but he was. Damn those hormones.

"Sora, w-will you be my boh- my boyfriend?"

Sora ignored the chorus of people doing CaramelDansen in his head and kissed the other boy with all the emotion he had in him. Unfortunately, they were interrupted again.

"Woah! Would you look at that?"

"Gosh! That's so hot."

"Uh huh. Why are the hot guys always gay?"

"I have no idea, but I guess we'll have to live with that, won't we, Mindy?"

"Yeah. And watch, right Rey?"

"Hell yes, m'dear."

Riku scowled at the two crazy British neighbours he had, staring from their sun loungers and drinking pink lemonade, on the other side of the street. He looked at Sora with raised eyebrows. The brunette shrugged and twirled the wliting flower between his fingers absent-mindedly. Now that Riku thought of it, that flower looked really quite familiar.

"Sora, did you get that from my next door neighbour's garden?"

Sora blushed, "I- It was Kairi's idea!"

"Right… Okay."

"Aw, look they're embarrassed!"

The brunette shot the girls who were still watching a worried look, "Um, Riku? Can we… go inside?"

Riku blinked, "Yeah! Yeah…"

As Riku led Sora inside, he smirked to himself.

_'Inside? Hmm…'_

.x.X.x.

**author's note: **LOLOLOLOOLOLOL. gosh, would you look at that! I love my beta. She is amazing. This chapter could not have been done without her. It realy couldn't. I hope you enjoyed it. I know i did :D Emotional Riku belongs to Lamiee. She enjoyed it so much. And the 'crazy british girls' are very familiar. I wonder where they came from... ahee cough

**beta:** ...Britain, you cretin.

**review replies: **

_DarkHenrych - _Yes, yes we shall. They are so fun to write. :D Thank you (again) for the corrections! They are very helpful, you know how annoyed i get when i find them... oh my god, Yuffie is amazing. I would totally love that xD

_Cloaked Nocturne XV _-I can't wait either, it's gonna be so good xD Lawls. I love a stuttering Sora. It's just too cute. :D

_SarahXxUnlovedxX _- I am very glad you love this story. I love it too :D It doesn't matter if you didn't review the last chapter, you don't have to apologise! I tried to not go on fanfiction at all. It didn't last long. xD

_SporkFilledDeath345 _- I hate waking up late o a school day too. I really do. Everything just seems to go down hill from there. Ah, i am not a Kairi-hater..but i am very glad that you like her in this story. I do try. Review reply block. I'm getting that now. :D

read, review, party, enjoy life...

nirii xx


	16. Bike Sheds & Balls

**author's note: **Hey! I just realised that we are almost at the 100 reviews mark! And that made me so happy. So I updated!

Also, I have a thank you. You see, I made my account when I was like... i dunno, eleven? And I was really clever and all. Whatever. Then I stopped writing, at all. Then my English grades started to slip and that was really bad because I really need to make good grades from now until I finish school (which is still quite a while away). So, yeah, i thought 'Hmm... Why not start writing again, it'll get you back into the mood and you'll rediscover that flare you had. And it really worked! I'm now getting an A average! So THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING HERE AND TELLING ME THAT WHAT I DO IS GOOD! I really mean it. :D

Cha. Enjoy. (please don't hate/kill/set a gang on moogles on me...)

_-o-x-Chapter 16-x-o-_

Roxas chewed his beef jerky angrily. He didn't care that he didn't actually _like_ beef jerky, he just needed something to take his frustration out on with causing anyone physical harm. So, chewing beef jerky it was. Rikku had taught him well.

He scowled as he noticed Sora blush again. Roxas did not find what was before his eyes a pleasant scene to watch, though around half of the female, and male, population would probably disagree.

He shifted slightly to his left, towards an ever so slightly green Pence, away from three very giggly girls.

What was annoying Roxas was the way Sora and Riku would keep glancing at each other and when they made eye contact Riku would smirk and Sora would blush and Kairi, Selphie and Olette would giggle. And repeat.

He felt like standing up and yelling at them just how painfully obvious it was that they were (finally) going out and that they should just fucking admit it already. He really wanted to, but maybe the canteen wasn't the best place for that.

It didn't really matter because Kairi knew and she had told Selphie, who never kept secrets from Tidus and he'd told Pence who'd been forced by Olette to spill the gossip, which meant that Roxas knew so he, in turn, would tell Hayner - actually, Hayner didn't know yet.

"Where's Hayner?" Roxas asked, finally swallowing his beef jerky.

Pence shrugged, "No idea."

"Right. I'm going to go find him." Roxas mentally congratulated himself on finding a way to get out of the canteen that looked normal.

Pence looked at him desperately with a 'take me with you' glint in his eyes. Roxas rolled his eyes and signaled for Pence to follow him, but Olette sidled up to the brunette and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Suddenly Pence didn't seem so desperate to get out.

Damn people in their stupid couples. They really knew how to put you down.

Seriously, there was Selphie and Tidus, Pence and Olette and now Sora and Riku! Next thing you knew, Hayner would be getting together with Kairi and Olette would start calling him Bachelor Roxas. That was not a pleasant thought.

He waved automatically as he past Demyx's table, pausing for a second when he noticed that Zexion was sitting with them, though he quickly walked on when he saw the red-head smirking at him. He was not going to blush. Well, not so someone would notice anyway.

He walked over to his locker, deciding that he may as well collect the stuff he needed for this afternoon while he was near it. As he opened it a folded piece of paper fluttered out. He frowned at it, wondering who would shove a note into his locker. It obviously wasn't a flier or advertising something because they would be scattered all over the floor, dropped by uninterested people.

He looked around to see if there was anyone who might have put it there. He found a grand total of none.

Roxas picked it up, cautiously unfolded it and read:

_Meet me at the bike shed after school for the time of your life._

When he read the name at the end his jaw dropped comically.

He shut his locker and walked quickly outside and sat on the edge of the bike rack. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his home number.

"Hello, SAS emergency line, how can I help?"

"Jess. That is really not funny." Roxas said, rolling his eyes in irritation.

"Oh, sorry, Roxas," she said. "Thought you were my stalker."

Roxas blinked. "Stalker? ...You know what, never mind. I really don't want to know. Are Rikku, Yuffie and co. there?"

"Did you just call Naminé 'co.'?"

"That is neither here nor there! Just get them," Roxas cried, officially 'losing it', "please," he added, to make it sound as though he weren't officially 'losing it'.

"Fine, Mrs Stroppy-Pants."

Roxas scowled at the loving nickname and waited for Jess to pass the phone over.

"Yo, Roxie-darling."

"Someonewantstoshagmeafterschoolroundthebikeshed!" Forget _losing_ it, Roxas had now gone and lost it completely.

There was a long pause, and then, with equal enthusiasm – but of a different nature – Rikku replied.

"GOOD GODS! WUZZIT AXEL?!"

Roxas paused again, then said with slow deliberation, "It wasn't Axel, so don't talk to me about Axel and don't talk to me about relationships and don't talk to me about Axel – or relationships. Y'hear?"

"Loud and clear, cutie-face," replied the ever-chipper Rikku. "But you totally need to take up his offer because..." Whatever her reason was, it was drowned out by Roxas' screamed protests. "Now, now, Roxie. I'm serious. Us mere mortals are slimy folk and the only way people like you or I could ever get dates from the love of our lives is to make them jealous. By going out with... who was it again?"

Roxas looked back down at the note and gulped. He hadn't forgotten who's name was scribbled at the bottom, but he had quite hoped he had. "Seifer."

Rikku gasped and squealed. Then said, "Who?"

"Only the most popular bully in school," Roxas cried.

"Even better!"

"He wants to fucking shag me, Rikku."

"Perfect."

"I'm not the sort of person who goes round the back of bike sheds shagging people."

"That's right."

"Rikku! Are you listening?"

"I smell cookies, do you smell cookies?"

"Rikku!"

"_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep._"

"Damn Jess and her cookies."

.x.X.x.

At first, it had been cute – so damn cute. But now it was just annoying.

Riku and Sora were acting like imbeciles. When would they realise that the whole school knew and they could get off right there and then if they wanted to (which they obviously did)?

Kairi was, frankly, fed up. And so was the rest of the table it seemed. Pence had his head in his hands, Olette was tiredly stroking his hair, Tidus was flicking through a Blitzball magazine for the umpteenth time, Selphie was pretending to stab Riku's head from a distance with a pencil, one eye shut, and Hayner, who had apparently _not_ heard the news from Roxas was glancing uneasily every now and then at the meek couple.

There was a small cough at Kairi's right.

"Could you please pass the salt, Riku?" asked a mild-tempered voice.

"Of course," said the voice at Kairi's far right.

The whole table watched the transaction. Sora's hand reached out expectantly and Riku's picked the salt up. When he put the cellar into Sora's hand, their fingers brushed meaningfully – but momentarily. They shared a quick, "secretive" look and then Sora blushed and Riku smirked. Yet again.

This was the last straw.

Kairi jumped up onto the bench she was sitting on and stared at Riku and Sora with a burning look in her eyes. The whole canteen was looking at her now, waiting for the explosion. Hayner snorted and, nudging Pence, said, "If looks could kill, eh?" Pence gave a weak giggle which quickly weedled away into nothingness when Kairi turned her gaze to him.

She quickly snapped her head back to Sora and Riku and said, "Right."

Pointing her finger at them she continued, "You two. Are the **limit**. Gawd, grow some **BALLS**. You love each other now and it's so goddamn obvious, boys. Now, if you don't kiss, Selphie really _will_ stab your head with that pencil, Riku."

Kairi looked around at her crowd then, addressing them, said, "Shut up, go away. What're you looking at?" and sat down.

Sora blushed and Riku smirked.

"Gah," said the table.

.x.X.x.

Roxas clutched his bag in his right hand and the note in his left.

The bike shed was a dismal, disgusting place. No one used it anymore, because of the new shiny metal bike rack on the other side of the school. There were actual cobwebs on the windows and the wood was rotting and falling apart. He decided in that moment that he would never, in his whole life, be shagged in this dingy stinkhole... Well, there might be one... redheaded... exception.

He heard footsteps approaching. Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, thought Roxas.

It turned out to be the caretaker, called Brian, but Roxas decided that that was a sort of drill for what it would be like when Seifer appeared. He slowly berated for himself for taking Rikku's advice – Rikku's advice, for heaven's sake. The last time he took her advice he had ended up in A&E with a black eye, forty-four bleeding pin pricks from badges proclaiming that 'Scrooge's Ice Cream Parlour sells the best Ice Cream this side of Twilight Town' and seven units of alcohol inside him – or so he had been told, he couldn't really remember. He had been _pissed_ that night.

"Roxas?"

Roxas quickly snapped out of the painful memory and looked into the startlingly ice-like eyes of the strangely attractive – _gulp_ – Seifer. Suddenly hands were pinned either side of his head and Roxas smelt smoke on Seifer's lips.

"You came."

"Yeahh..." said Roxas, being careful with his words. "I sure did."

"So, are you ready?"

"About that..." said Roxas, he was dreadfully aware of how close their faces were and how little more pressure Seifer would have to put upon the shed until he actually broke through it and landed on poor Roxas. "I think we should wait a while, you know. So that you can... _prove_ yourself. We could, I donno, go out for a couple of weeks and we'll just... see how it goes. ...Yes?"

Seifer stared at Roxas for a bit, trying to process whether the younger was worth it or not. "You know, usually a Senior can get whoever he wants."

Roxas blinked.

"But you're worth it. Pick you up at seven."

He was walking away and his hand was in the air as though waving goodbye. Roxas sighed and thought that maybe Seifer wasn't as bad as he had thought.

"Wear something tight."

Roxas fell through the shed.

-x-X-x-

**author's note: **lawls. i love that last bit. xD So, yeah, don't hate me. Just remember, it's part of the plot. And this story would totally suck if it didn't have a proper plot! And you wouldn't want to read it and... yeah...

**review replies: **

_DorkFace_ - Lawls. Britain really is funny. Even though that's where i am, i still find it rather amusing. I do not know why. :D And you shall get your AkuRoku! ...eventually. Seriously, it will. Still, i'm glad you enjoyed the SoraRiku action! :D

_DarkHenrych_ - Blimey, there were a lot of mistakes in the last chapter! Thank you very much (again) for pointing them out. I am so glad I made your day more bareable, that made me feel very good about myself. I really am glad that you love this fic. Your reviews totally keep me going! Thank you so much! :D

_SarahXxUnlovedxX_ - Thanks :D It really was, wasn't it?

_Cloaked Nocturne XV_ - haha. GOOD! I'm glad you did, that was the intention...

_SporkFilledDeath345_ - Well, you see, i have many different types of music in my head. The sad thing is, i am not even joking. No, you really _don't_ want to know how i came up with the crazy british fangirls. You really don't. LAWLS, i couldn't stop laughing when i wrote that bit. It was so funny. You see, i was sitting at the kitchen table (with a glass of milk and a cookie, yeah i'm so cool xD) and i was staring at that very friut bowl. It really is a good thing to stare at. It helps me procrastinate. Lol. I do hope you have fun with the wizard!

_Keira-93__ - _You were up until one am reading it? Wow, that makes me feel really happy to know that someone was actually that hooked! xD Thanks for reviewing :D

_trish01chiu_ - Thanks :D I didn't used to be a SoraRiku fan either, i don't really know how i came to liking it... but i do xD The AkuRoku will come soon(ish). I promise. It's just... i need a plot, right? Yeah... :D

**author's note: **Phew. Well, i wanna say thank you to my beta again. She really rules. -salutes her-

read, review, party, enjoy life...

nirii xx


	17. Hickies & Information

**author's note: **Wow, thanks for all the reviews guys! Only four more and we'll have 100! :D I am looking foreward to that point, i really am. Please make it happen!  
Okay, so, most of you seem alright with my (amazing, fantastically original, loveable) plot twist. I really hope you _all_ are. Because I'll feel really bad if you're not. Yeah... Okay, i though about writing the actual date that him and Seifer go on, but i couldn't. I actually had to write a chapter of 'Breaking' (one of my other stories, it's been gathering dust for the last month but i'm re-booting it now! You should check it out.) Well, this chapter isn't one of my best, but i do love the last bit. I really do. Okay, ENJOY MY PRETTIES!

_-o-x-Chapter 17-x-o-_

Roxas came home at half past midnight sporting messy hair, about four and a half hickeys and a ruffled shirt.

Rikku, Yuffie and Naminé were waiting at the door and had been for the past five hours, on the edge of their seats in anticipation. They all leapt on him as soon as he walked through the door causing him to wince in surprise and pain. Yuffie misinterpreted the wince.

"Ooh, Roxas _got_ some tonight!" she said, waggling her eyebrows in a suggestive fashion and ruffling his already messy blonde hair.

He scowled at her, it was probably one of the most unfunny things he had ever heard in his life.

Naminé's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "...did you?"

"**NOOOOOO!**" he rounded on Rikku, "I am _never_ taking your advice again."

She pouted and dragged him into a forceful hug, "But Roxieee! It is going to work! Axel is going to be so jealous when he sees those terrible purple marks tainting your beautiful neck and he will realise how much he loves you and he will take you right there and then! I prrroomise!"

He gave her a doubtful look and she sighed.

"Well, it may take some time, but I am _sure _that this will speed things up. It really will."

"Yeah, sure." he said, dejectedly.

"Aww, come on Roxas. It can't have been _that_ bad. I'm sure you enjoyed getting those hickeys-"

"I did not."

"Well, it's irrelevant whether you enjoyed it or not. You just need this Seifer bloke around to make Axel jealous." Rikku pointed out with a touch of knowledgeableness.

The three girls nodded at him and he sighed dramatically.

"So... are you going to tell us _exactly_ what happened?" Rikku asked, picking the purple nail varnish off her left thumb.

"I don't think you really want to kno-"

"Yes we do."

He scowled at Yuffie, who smiled innocently at him.

"Fine."

He paused and they all looked at him expectantly.

"...Well?"

"Well, we went to the cinema, we got kicked _out_ of the cinema..."

Rikku snickered, "Why did you get kicked out?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Roxas said, gesturing at the marks on his neck in an aggravated fashion.

They all giggled and he swatted them, "It's not _funny…_" he whined.

"Well - heh - it kinda is, Rox…" Yuffie snorted.

He scowled at them until they stopped laughing and asked him what happened next.

"Well, I thought the cinema was a good idea because he couldn't really do that much. So after we'd gotten kicked out of the first one, I said that I wanted to see the rest of the movie and he took me to the other cinema on the other side of town. Y'know, the really small one that's kinda nice because it's all quiet and stuff. Though, that kinda made my plan backfire a little, I guess."

They all nodded, grinning.

"You know," Naminé piped up, "I don't think this guy sounds that bad… I mean, he obviously _likes_ you. And he - err - didn't rape you or anything…" he trailed off averting her eyes from the strange looks she was receiving.

"That makes him nice? Because he didn't rape Roxas?"

"Urg." She slapped her forehead, "That wasn't what I meant," she insisted. "Whatever. What happened after that?"

He shrugged, "We went to the next cinema, managed not to get kicked out, probably because we were the only people _there_ but that's not the point…" he grinned slightly, "And then we went for a walk."

"Sweet." Rikku smiled.

"You haven't heard the best bit yet," he said and they gasped. "I saw Axel."

Yuffie punched the air in triumph and Rikku and Naminé high-fived.

"Most excellent," Rikku said, tapping her fingers together, " What was his reaction?"

"Well, I'm not really sure, it was a little too dark, but I know he saw us and walked off away with the person he was with. Though, they were probably leaving anyway."

Yuffie shook her head, "Don't be so hard on yourself, Roxas. He was walking away because he didn't like seeing you with Seifer."

Roxas shrugged but you could tell that he was thinking 'Yeah. Well. _Maybe_.'

Rikku peered at him, an indescribable look on her face, "Hey, you don't need to worry about a thing. Everything is just gonna fall into place." She pecked him lightly on the cheek, "Okay, babe?"

He nodded and a small smile crept onto his face.

"That's my Roxie," she grinned, pinching his cheek in the way your relatives do when they tell you how much you've grown. "Now, it is high time you were in bed, young man. You must be in tip-top condition for school tomorrow, got it? Go get your beauty sleep." She pushed him off the stool he had been sitting on and pointed towards the door.

He grinned as Naminé and Yuffie waved him away and made his way upstairs, hoping that things really were going to just fall into place.

-x-X-x-

Jess smiled cheerfully as she opened the glossy white door to Demyx's room. She padded across the carpet in her Tigger slippers and watched him for a while. He was breathing deeply, his mouth slightly open and the dark ocean blue covers were clutched tightly to his chest. Oh yes, he was definitely pretending to be asleep.

Jess' happy smile turned into a wicked grin. She grabbed one of the cushions from the end of her eldest son's bed and release a little pent up energy but smacking him over the head.

He groaned and looked at her blearily.

"I thought you'd stopped doing that." He said, pouting slightly.

"Now, now, Demyx," she said, waggling her right index finger at him. "What have I told you about presuming things?"

Demyx pouted and mumbled a non-committal reply.

She cocked an eyebrow at him and he frowned, "I don't know anything, so don't even ask."

"Ha! A likely story! C'mon, Demyx… You know you want to spill all the gossip on your darling brother."

Demyx scowled at her for about thirty seconds before relenting, "Okay. Well," she sighed triumphantly, plonked herself on the edge of his bed and grinned at him with her chin resting in her palms, "I'm not too sure on the details, but he seems to have gotten together with Riku- you know Riku."

She nodded, her fringe falling forward into her bright eyes, "Yeah, of course I do. He's one of the many people that has this place as a second home."

"Uh, yeah. Right. I only know because, apart from the fact that Sora is completely crap at keeping anything secret, Kairi announced it - standing on the table in the canteen - to practically the whole school."

"Ha!" Jess smacked her thigh cheerfully, "I always liked that girl. She really knows how to make a point."

Demyx blinked at her, "Yes, mother."

She sighed happily, staring out of the window. Demyx felt ever so slightly confused.

"Mother. Correct me if I am wrong, but you have just been told that your second - and last - son is gay. Your hopes of ever having grandchildren are crushed. CRUSHED!"

"…And?"

"Well, you're being so matter-of-fact about it."

"It _is_ a matter of fact, sunshine." She said, shaking her head at him, "Besides. He's a Harada. It's kinda given, isn't it? I mean, we all like men!"

Demyx grinned and she ruffled his messy hair fondly.

"Anyway, you could always adopt."

Three minutes of silence followed that comment.

"Soo…" she grinned at him mischievously, "Are you still with, um…. What'shisface…?"

"Err… no."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"What about that guy Roxas knows? The one with the, err, hair?"

"Don't wanna talk about it." He said, rolling over so he was facing the opposite wall.

Jess smiled wryly and patted his shoulder, unusually tactful.

"Okay, hun. Sleep tight."

She smiled again as he mumbled good night and closed the door quietly behind her.

She was going to have _so much_ fun with her newly found knowledge.

-x-X-x-

**author's note: **Ha! Jess totally reminds me of one of my friend's mother. She so cool. But, in a slightly different way. Yeah, we have a giggle about her son and his boyfriend (my best friend xD) it's cool. So, this chapter, was it good? Bad? Terrible? Fantastic? Questionable? Let me know! :D

Oh, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask, i WILL answer!

read, review, party, enjoy life...

nirii xx


	18. Rants & Repitition

**Author's note: **Yoyoyo. Gosh, I can't believe this is chapter 18… where did all the other chapters go? They're going like HOTCAKES! This chapter is… Alrightish. I'm not too sure about it to be honest but, oh well. I don't like writing Roxas/Seifer…. It's killing me. Well, not really, it's making me laugh. But that's not the point. So, yes, Thanks to my wonderful beta, she rocks and makes me feel better about every chapter. Jaa. ENJOY!

_-o-x-Chapter 18-x-o-_

Roxas rubbed the sleep from his eyes and wearily put his alarm clock that was tell him to 'wake-up, sunshine! It's a b-e-a-utiful day!' on snooze. He could sleep for a few more minutes.

_'…I know what you want from me, doo bee doo bee doo da da doo bee doo bee doo da da! Sweet little Bumble bee more than just a fantasy!'_

Then again, maybe not.

He kicked his covers off, grabbed his towel and walked into his bathroom. As much as he 'liked' Sora's renditions of DDR songs, he couldn't really relax through them.

-x-X-x-

One nice, refreshing shower later, Roxas sat at the breakfast bar munching on a bowl of Rice Krispies with Demyx and Sora, under the watchful eye of his Aunty.

She was eyeing all three boys beadily. It was like being in a room with a movement censored surveillance camera - not very pleasant.

Roxas rubbed his neck absent-mindedly and, sure enough, her attention snapped from a bouncing Demyx to poor Roxie. Her lips curved in mild amusement.

"Nice hickey, Roxas." She tittered.

Sora and Demyx both turned to stare at him. Roxas clapped his hands over the offending purple marks, appalled.

"I suppose I should now give you a lecture on how 'stupid' it is to let someone so that to you, but my imagination is a little tired so I'll let you off."

He sighed in relief.

"That's really now fair," Demyx whined, "I still have mental scars from the time you gave me that talk. Scars, mum! SCARS!"

She looked at him with sarcastic sympathy, "Yes, dear. The eldest child always has it the worst."

He nodded almost proudly and went back to inspecting his bowl. The room was silent once again. Jess was looking at Roxas. She was trying to read him. He could tell. Well, screw her. He was a very hard book to read, like one of those classics where you have to read each sentence about three times and even then you don't really understand what it meant.

"So, are ya gonna tell me who did it?" she asked, twirling a lock of her blonde hair which was an almost impeccable imitation of Rikku.

"No." Roxas replied simply without even looking at her.

"Fine. I guess I'll just ask Naminé, Rikku and Yuffie…" she said, an evil glint in her eyes.

"You do that." Roxas wasn't scared of her. He was a big boy. And big boys weren't scared of crazy thirty-something year-old ladies. No sir, they most definitely weren't.

"You know you are scared of me really, Roxas."

Damn it. She could read him like one of the 'Peter and Jane' books he had been taught to read with. And it wasn't even book two (We're Peter and Jane. Trouble is our middle name.)

He scowled at her and scraped the last few bits of soppy cereal out of his bowl. The sooner he got out of the door, the sooner he would be away from the crazy lady.

-x-X-x-

After a short car journey (how Demyx had ever managed to pass his test, Roxas would never know), they arrived at school. Amazingly in one piece.

Demyx practically shoved Sora and Roxas out of the car and hurried off in the direction of a livid blonde girl. Roxas was very glad he didn't have to go in that direction, she looked as though she would punch anyone that came near her.

He was also glad that he wasn't in Sora's position. The poor brunette was currently being hugged (to death) by three (rabid fan) girls.

That was until he saw Seifer and his 'gang' walking towards him. If it were a choice between Seifer and a coach load of fan girls; he take the latter. Ten times over.

He waved at the tall blonde with a fake smile plastered on to his features, remembering what Rikku had told him. Roxas did feel ever so slightly mean for using someone like this. He tried to reassure himself that Seifer was probably using him too - for things he really didn't want to envision - but it didn't make him feel any better. In fact, it made him feel a whole lot worse.

There was just a small group of freshmen girls between them now and Seifer pushed through them roughly, Rai and Fuu following (or lumbering, in Rai's case) after him. Roxas found himself being dragged into a forceful kiss by the front of his shirt. He was unsurprised though a little unnerved by the way Rai and Fuu just stood watching with their arms folded.

But, honestly, who wouldn't feel slightly uncomfortable when you were being unwillingly made out with and being watched by two rather intimidating, yet expressionless, people?

Eventually, Seifer pulled away and gave Roxas a sort of satisfied smirk. He slung an arm around the smaller blonde's shoulders, which _did_ surprise Roxas, and started walking in the direction of Roxas' locker. Roxas looked behind him to see that Rai and Fuu were following them. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved. Surly Seifer wouldn't like… rape him in front of these guys, right? RIGHT?

-x-X-x-

"…Larxene?" Demyx approached the fuming blonde warily; he was 'testing the water' so to speak. He didn't know what level her anger was on. It didn't look like friendly-let's-pull-Marluxia's-hair Larxene, but it didn't look like I-have-PMS-and-I-am-going-to-punch-anyone-who-comes-within-a-five-meter-radius-of-me Larxene either. Maybe it was I-am-in-serious-need-of-a-punch-bag Larxene.

Just in case, Demyx stood a couple of feet away.

She snapped around and glared at him, "What do you want, Demyx?"

_'Oh. Sorry. Did I interrupt something? It didn't look like you were doing much. Maybe you were trying to kill the grass by staring at it. God. She really has anger issues. It's like the time she threw her Math textbook at our teacher and it went through the whiteboard. If a normal person had thrown it, it would have just bounced off and landed on the floor. But NOOO you've got so much anger it went _through_ the board, leaving a hole and everything. She really has problems. Axel should totally chuck her.'_

Then it clicked. He was so glad he hadn't said that out loud, if he had he would be a little ball of pulp in a crater on the moon right now. It was obvious what was wrong with her now he thought about it. She'd found out that Axel liked someone else. Damn it. When he found the person who had told he would take away all their candy. And if they didn't have any, he would give them some and then take it away.

"Demyx…" she said, a hint of steely malice in her voice. Did I say a hint? I meant a tonne.

"I-err… What's wrong…?"

Yes. Playing the idiot was always very clever.

She - metaphorically - exploded.

"What's wrong? _What's WRONG?! _Only the fact that your stupid little cousin is trying to steal my _boyfriend_!"

Demyx paled considerably, "Oh, _that._ Ahee… Well, ya see…" he shuffled back a few steps, preparing to run away, "I don't know a thing!" It was true enough.

He shook his head, then nodded, then shook it again. Then he gave up all hope and legged it.

"Run! Run away!" He yelled at a group of random people as he passed them. They all shrugged and one of them said,

"There goes another one."

-x-X-x-

Roxas sat down heavily in the standard dark blue chair that was only half screwed onto the frame supporting it in front of his German desk. He exhaled loudly.

He rubbed his forehead tiredly, trying to erase the thought of when Seifer would next ask if he had 'proved himself' yet.

A group of girls were staring at him from the other side of the classroom. They immediately stopped talking when they noticed him looking at them and smiled at him. Then they all giggled and went back to whispering behind their hands.

Roxas shook his head in half annoyance and half amusement and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He really should have gone to bed earlier last night.

He pulled his books out of his bags and quickly checked if he'd done the homework. He frowned at a little note in small italic scribble in the margin.

_We did your homework! LOLLOLLOL love ya! Xxxxxxx_

He rolled his eyes: unless 'we' for some strange reason meant Demyx, he wasn't going to get a good mark, but he really couldn't be bothered to redo it.

Roxas looked up when the red-head came into the room, ignoring the now familiar leaping sensation. He scowled when he saw the same group of girls wave at Axel and burst into a fit of giggles when he nodded at them. Stupid girls.

"Hey, Roxas," Axel said, sitting on the chair next to Roxas and resting his feet on the table.

"Hey." He replied shortly.

The red-head gave him a funny look and cracked his gum, "Sheesh, who shove a pole up your ass…"

Roxas laughed sarcastically and stuck his tongue out at Axel, not caring if it was childish.

Axel smirked at him then his eyebrows contracted, "Jeez, I think you should buy your boyfriend some food and not let him have you for dinner."

Roxas raised his eyebrows, concealing his joyous feelings, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, he seems to have tried to drink great goblets of your blood. Is he a vampire or something?"

Roxas smirked in amusement, "Jealous much, Axel?"

The red-head took his feet off the desk and leaned forward so he was looking right into Roxas' blue eyes, "Now, why would I be jealous?"

That stung more than it should have, but Roxas realised that this was probably a really good moment to try out the next thing on the list Rikku, Yuffie and Naminé had given him.

He looked back up into Axel's eyes, causing the red-head to jump slightly in surprise before smirking. Roxas turned his head away from Axel slowly, not breaking their eye contact until the last minute. Then he looked back at him and smiled.

To Roxas' delight, Axel was just staring at him with a slack jaw, his mouth hanging open slightly.

Unfortunately, Frau Molesworth walked in at that moment. Axel shook himself slightly and turned to face the front of the room.

Roxas just smiled triumphantly to himself and opened his books. He decided that he really ought to give those girls more credit. They really did know what they were doing.

-x-X-x-

**Author's Note: **HAHAHAHAHA. Yes. You see, you will get the AkuRoku you are gagging for. I PROMISE you. Okay, so I'm going to answer some questions now…

_How long is this story going to be?_

If I knew, I couldn't tell you. I'm kidding, I'm not really that sure, I think it'll be somewhere around twenty five to thirty chapters but I'm not sure. Probably thirty. We'll see.

_How long is this whole Seifer thing going to go on for?_

Gawsh, hopefully not too much longer. I haven't actually planned how long it will go on for… maybe a few more chapters.

_I'm itching to see what will happen next with the Seifer plot twist. What will Axel do? Will he be jealous? Or not?_

Bhahaha, you just found out, didn't you! Well, you kinda did. Hmfp.

_Do I get a prize for being the 101th reviewer?_

Of course, here you are -hands a giant cookie-

Okay, I'm off now. See you in the next chappie! :D

Read, review, party, enjoy life...

nirii xx


	19. Douchebags & Divorce

-o-x-Chapter 19-x-o-

**Author's note: **Doods. I am so happy. All your reviews make me want to jump, sing and dance with JOY. Yes, yes they do. Yeah, I'm sorry the updates are getting a little slower, but my teacher are really piling the homework on me. I wish I had taken some easier classes. I really do. ANYHOW. I've got a little competition for you. I want to see who can guess the quote that I have said myself. It's not very obvious but I want to see if anyone can get it. You probably won't but it's all good fun.

Enjoy!

_-o-x-Chapter 19-x-o-_

Lunchtime was awkward and aggravating. Actually, that was an understatement.

Seifer had 'taken the liberty' of sitting with Roxas, much to the displeasure of everyone on that table. But Roxas was quietly grateful; he didn't want to imagine what it would be like sitting at Seifer's usual table. He would have to pretend not to be feeling nervous and uncomfortable while he was being scrutinised by the other people on the table and being made out with. Hmm. Not a pleasant vision.

Oh yeah, and Sora was describing the going on in his Classical Civilisations class.

"And then _I _said, 'well, that's Crassus all over!'" He grinned lopsidedly.

"How very witty." Seifer said sarcastically, pulling Roxas closer to him using the arm that was around the blonde's waist.

Sora's face fell and he gave Roxas a reproachful look that quite clearly said, 'get rid of the kill-joy, Roxas.'

Hayner was smoldering silently in his chair, glaring at Seifer as though his life depended on it.

"What's wrong, Hayner?" Roxas asked, partly to break the awkward silence that had settled and partly so he could keep Seifer away from his mouth. For a few seconds at least.

"I'm wondering when Mr. Douchebag here will realise that he is _not welcome_."

Roxas had been wondering this too. He decided that Seifer was probably just ignoring the looks he was receiving from Roxas' friends. Sora was almost crying which meant that Riku was glaring at the older boy fiercely, with a protective arm around Sora. Olette was consoling an horror-struck Pence and exchanging worried looks with Kairi. Tidus was muttering under his breath and stabbing his piping hot chicken and mushroom pie miserably. Selphie, however, was smiling enough for them all, because she didn't hate anyone.

"Mr. Shower Bag? That doesn't make any sense…" Sora said, looking at Hayner questionably.

"Nah, A douchebag is a dirty vag-"

"We_ know_, Hayner!" Kairi cut across him looking revolted, "Don't ever try to explain these thing to Sora. Especially not while we are _eating_."

He snorted and grinned before glaring at Seifer, who had (almost) been smiling.

Roxas sighed hopelessly, he really didn't want Seifer to be with them either, but if he expressed this feeling his (or rather, Rikku, Naminé and Yuffie's) plan would be foiled. No. He felt a different tactic coming on.

"Hey, I have to go catch Zexion about our Biology project." He said, playing up to Seifer.

The older boy smirked slightly, "Okay, let's go." He said, making to stand up.

Roxas stopped him, "No, stay here. I need to be able to concentrate and you would… distract me…" he whispered the last bit softly for effect, and it really worked. For the second time that day, he decided that girls really were cleverer than he had once thought.

Seifer smirked his arrogantly inflated face off and kissed Roxas, triggering many groans of annoyance and withering comments from the other occupants of the table.

Roxas stood up and laughed as his 'boyfriend' winked at him roguishly. It was forced laughter.

-x-X-x-

"So, basically, when the electrical impulses have to travel over a synapse you add ten milliseconds on to the time?"

"Yes."

"Damn." Roxas crossed out his answer for question 'five b' and began writing the correct one.

He had only been half-lying when he had used need to talk to Zexion about a biology project as an excuse to leave Seifer and his friends. He did need to talk to Zexion about biology; to make sure that he didn't get an F. Again.

"There." He said, throwing down his pen triumphantly.

Zexion smiled and took his own books out of his bag and placed them neatly on the desk in front of him. If Roxas had learnt one thing about Zexion over the few weeks he had known him, it was that he was a borderline perfectionist. It didn't bother Roxas but it was ever so slightly irritating to have someone who always seemed to have an answer for everything.

"So, are you going to tell me where this whole 'Seifer is my boyfriend' situation came from?" Zexion asked, looking at Roxas expectantly.

Roxas seemed to consider this for a moment before shrugging, "Well, he wanted to fuck me behind the bike sheds but I turned him down, saying that I wanted to get to know him better first because _Rikku told me too._ So he kinda asked me out and… here we are."

Zexion looked dumbfounded, "But… I thought you liked Axel!"

The blonde blinked at him in astonishment, "You what? How did you- I never told you that!" 

Zexion chuckled, "I know."

"So… how did you know that then?" Roxas asked, baffled.

"I can read minds."

"Wow. Really?"

"No."

"Oh."

Roxas was surprised, Zexion didn't joke very often. Then again, he _had_ been spending quite a lot of time with Demyx recently; maybe his behavior was rubbing off on him. _Speaking _of Demyx-

"Hey, are you gonna tell me what's going on with you and-"

"No." Zexion cut across him firmly, " At least, not now, because _you_ are going to explain what is going on with you. Right now."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are." He replied, smiling once again.

Roxas sighed, "Alright then. I don't really know how to put it but… here we go. You see, I told Rikku that there might be a chance that I liked Axel, and she told Naminé and Yuffie and they all came up with this crazy plan to get us together. It might just be working but I really don't know, I mean- Urg, I'm not making any sense, am I?"

Zexion's smile brightened, "Of course you are. I understand perfectly."

"Err… right, okay." Roxas said uncertainly.

"You know, I think Axel likes you too even if he hasn't quite realised it yet. I know he has a girlfriend and everything but-"

"He _what_?" Roxas almost shouted, not caring that the girls at the back of the classroom were staring at him in alarm and curiosity, nor that the biology technician, who had been fiddling with something in the large fish tank, was looking at him in a disapproving manner. Zexion's words had ripped through him like a knife through the robes of Julius Caesar. Axel had a _girlfriend. _A _girl_friend.

"I thought you knew…" Zexion said tentatively.

Now that Roxas thought about it, he realised how obvious it had been. Demyx had said, had he not, that Axel couldn't use Larxene as an excuse for not finding some hot sophomore to chase after, Roxas remembered the way the blonde's icey eyes pierced him when he has completed the first stage of Rikku, Naminé, and Yuffie's stupid plan. A plan which now seemed pointless. Why would Axel want to give up his girlfriend for Roxas?

"Roxas…?" Zexion was looking at him in concern, "Did you not know?"

He gulped, "No, I didn't."

Zexion shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I was going to say that he doesn't seem very interested in her."

Roxas glanced up hopefully, "Really?"

He nodded, "Yes, Demyx could tell you more but I've notice while I've been with them that they don't act much like a couple. He doesn't seem to treat her in that sort of way, if you understand my meaning."

The blonde nodded slowly, "Yeah, I get you. So… you think I should talk to Demyx about it?"

"Yes, I do. He'll tell you just about anything. I'm sure. He will just want what is best for Axel."

Roxas sounded a hollow laugh, "You think _I'm _the best thing for Axel?"

Zexion shrugged, "Well, I don't see why you shouldn't be."

That statement surprised Roxas, but he did not try to deny it. It was a rather good thought to have swimming around his mind. It really was.

-x-X-x-

Jess surveyed the three girls in front of her with sparked interest.

"You mean to tell me that my nephew is using this Simon boy to make Demyx's friend Axel jealous?"

"Seifer." Naminé corrected, straightening her skirt, "And yes."

"I see…" Jess scratched her shin thoughtfully, "Yes, I do see that. But, why?"

Rikku rolled her eyes, "_Because_ Roxie _really really_ likes Axel and want to have happy, hot gay-"

"What she means is," Naminé interjected, "that Roxas would very much like to go out with Axel. He likes him. A lot."

"Right. I can definitely see that happening," Jess smiled, "But I didn't know that Roxas was… well, such a _girl_. I mean, using another guy shamelessly to make someone jealous is a pretty bitchy thing to do."

The three girls shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"It was Rikku's idea!" Yuffie screamed quickly.

Rikku gasped at her, "I think you mean _our_ idea!" 

"Don't try and shift the blame on to us!"

"I'm not, we're all _sharing_ the blame!"

"Stop!" Naminé covered both of their mouths with her hands, they both carried on their now muffled argument, heatedly, "Honestly you two! You're so _childish_!"

"Hey," Jess interrupted, "I never said I didn't approve."

Naminé's jaw dropped, Rikku and Yuffie stopped arguing and they all started at her, flabbergasted.

"On the contrary," she continued, "I remember doing something similar when I was in college- but that's a different story. No, I don't have anything against it, I just hope it bloody well works!" she grinned frenziedly. They were all still staring at her, stunned it silence, "Alright, snap outta it!" She clicked her fingers.

Rikku suddenly grinned cheekily, "What did you get up to at college, then?"

Jess smiled gleefully, "Well, when I was in my first year, I completely doted on this guy there. And I had a friend called Cloud who everyone knew liked me, except myself of course."

Rikku, Naminé and Yuffie settled down grinning at her joyously.

"Then one day Cloud asks me out. I didn't really know what to say at first, you see, I didn't want to hurt his feelings but I knew that I liked this other guy more. So I said yes and thought I would try it out, deciding that it was a good opportunity to get the other guy to notice me and I could have fun at the same time. It did work, but it didn't turn out like I thought it would."

"What do you mean?" Yuffie asked, frowning slightly in confusion.

"Let me finish. I did manage to get noticed by the other guy, three months later and he showed interest in me. But by this time I had almost completely forgotten about him."

"What did you do?"

Jess smiled widely, "It's not got a happy ending. Are you sure you want to know the rest?"

"Yeah!" Yuffie shouted.

"I married Cloud, had two kids then signed the papers for a divorce."

"But asides from that, it's such a romantic story! And you two don't live together anymore…" Yuffie cried tearfully.

"True. Things just turned out that way. And we're still good friends. It's not a bad thing." She winked at them and walked out of the room.

"Wow. My Mum never tells cool stories like that." Yuffie scowled at the invisible figure of her mother.

"Yeah, same."

"Hmm."

Silence fell. Then Naminé voiced what they'd all been thinking, "What if that happens to Roxas?"

**Author's note: **What Lols. What Cahoots. I actually love that last section. I don't know why, but I really do. Did you?

Ohh, I really wanna say thank you to all the awesome reviews I'm getting, you guy keep me writing. Seriously, I wouldn't be writing this right now if you weren't reviewing. Well, I might be. But I doubt it. Yeah. Um. Okay, I'll be off now.

Read, Review, Party, Enjoy Life…

Nirii xxx


	20. Persuasion & Bitchy Comments

_-o-x-Chapter 20-x-o-_

"Rise and shine, Roxie-baby!" Yuffie cried cheerfully jumping on to Roxas' bed.

He groaned, lifted the arm that was shielding his face and cracked open a bleary eye, "What's going on?"

"It's the _weekend_, Roxie! Super-Duper Saturday time!" she squealed, bouncing up and down excitedly, "Come on, get _dressed._ Here," she threw a pile of clothes at him, "We chose your outfit. Hurry _up_!"

Roxas rolled his eye and pulled the covers off himself.

"Ooh! Someone's been _working out_!" Yuffie giggled, wolf-whistling.

Roxas laughed and threw a pillow at she. She caught it and ran out of the room cackling. The blonde shook his head, smiling to himself contently and followed his friend out of the room and walked into the bathroom.

"He's up." Yuffie said as she entered the living room and flopped down onto the couch in between Naminé and Sora.

"Good," Rikku said, smirking slightly, "Let's hope he's not too long."

She nodded at Jess as she walked into the room, grinning. Jess nodded in reply and walked over to the armchair where Demyx was quietly lounging.

"Demyx, sweetie?" she said in an as motherly tone as she could muster.

"…Yes?" He answered, giving her a funny look. He knew she was going to try to persuade him to do something. He could tell. She was using The Voice.

"You're meeting some friends at the mall today, aren't you?"

"…Yeah, I am. And no, before you ask, I will not stay here and look after this lot instead."

She let a short (fake) laugh escape her, "Don't be silly! I just wondered if you would take these three girls and Roxas with you."

"Aw, do I _have_ to?" he whined.

"Yes." She said, dropping the act and smacking him over the head.

"Hey! Yeah, fine. I'll do it.!

"Good boy," she said, patting him on the head and cheerfully skipping away.

Demyx narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the three grinning girls sitting on the couch, completely ignoring the whimpering Sora, "What are you lot up to, eh?"

"Nothing," Rikku replied, smiling innocently.

"I'm not stupid you know, " he said, tapping his forehead, "I smell the whiff of a scheme going on, and I _will_ find out what it is, mark my words. I am going to-"

They never found out what he was going to do, he was interrupted by a chorus of wolf-whistles and giggles coming from the couch. Roxas had entered the room.

"Shut _up_ you guys…" he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But we made you look all _sexy_, Roxie!" Yuffie squealed.

"Hmm… You were right, Naminé. The wife-beater does look better with the shirt undone over the top." Rikku said thoughtfully.

Demyx raised his eyebrows, "Larxene is so going to kill me for this…" he murmured under his breath before stalking into the kitchen.

"Mum," he said firmly, "You are going to make me waffles for breakfast."

"Now, now, Demyx," she said, waggling a finger at him, "You're a senior now, when I was a senior I didn't get waffles for breakfast! Neither did any of my brothers or sisters. Well, actually, we used to sneak out and buy them but, you're not clever enough to work out that you could do that, obviously. Are you, Dem Dem?"

"I won't take them."

Her face fell and she pouted, "Demyx, I'm your mother! You're supposed to do what I tell you to! Not the other way round…" she whined.

He shook his head stoically and held out his hand, "Waffles."

She scowled at him, "You better not tell _anyone._ I've got money riding on this…" she muttered, turning her back to him. Demyx grinned triumphantly and settled himself down at the breakfast bar. Today, it was going to be good.

-x-X-x-

Okay, he lied. Today was not going to be good. It was going to be awkward and messy.

They wasted a considerable amount of time arguing over the seating arrangements in the car until Jess came out with a heavy-looking frying pan and yelled at them to get on with it. They didn't argue.

"So, Demyx, who are you meeting?" Rikku asked from the back seat.

"Uh," he glanced at her in the rearview mirror, "just Axel, Marly and, um… Zexion. Oh, and I suppose Larxene will be there too."

He noticed Roxas' eyebrows contract slightly at the sound of Zexion's name.

"Larxene…" he heard Rikku mutter darkly under her breath. "I don't like her already."

Naminé coughed quietly and frowned at Rikku disapprovingly. Rikku just rolled her eyes and turned her head to stare resolutely out of the window. That Larxene was going down, whether she liked it or not. _Nobody_ stood in the way of her Roxie and what he wanted. Not if she could help it.

"Oh, Roxie?" she said, tapping the blonde on the shoulder. "I forgot to tell you but you got a text from Seifer while you were cleaning your teeth."

"Oh god…" Roxas groaned, rolling his eyes in annoyance and sinking down in his seat. "What did he want?"

"Oh, nothing much," an evil smirk crept onto her face, "I told him to meet us at the mall."

There was a loud thunk as Roxas' head hit the dashboard.

Demyx frowned at him, trying to keep his eyes on the road, "What's wrong? I thought he was your boyfriend…?"

"He _is_," Roxas groaned, "But a whole day with him is just going to be unbearable!"

"That's not the way you should think about him!" He said, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Urg, shut up Demyx." He scowled.

"Why does everyone keep _saying that_?" the older boy wailed, drawing the car to a stop messily over two parking spaces.

"Maybe you should just stop thinking about it, Demyx." Naminé said, patting his shoulder sympathetically.

"I _told_ _you_ you should have given me some of your waffles this morning! You can't take all the sugar! It's going to your he-ad!" Yuffie giggled hysterically in a sing-song voice.

"The work 'hypocrite' springs to mind…" Rikku muttered to Roxas who chuckled appreciatively. "Now," she clapped her hands loudly and linked arms with both Roxas and Demyx, "Lead the way, Dem Dem!"

Demyx shook his head and laughed at the way Yuffie started striking gallant poses as though she was a knight in shining armor about to start a quest as he lead them towards the nearest entrance.

"I don't even know why we're _here…_" Roxas mumbled crossly.

"Cheer up, Roxie!" Rikku said brightly, then whispered, "You're going to get to spend a _whole day_ in the company of the charming Axel!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! I'm not _that_ sad," He insisted.

Rikku chose to ignore him and continued following Demyx's lead, her arms still firmly anchoring the two boys to her sides.

"I see them!" Yuffie suddenly shrieked, pointed over at the fountain and bounding off the same direction, dragging a weary-looking Naminé behind her.

Sure enough, Roxas could see four figures waiting by the fountain. A tall boy with strangely pinkish-brown hair who was talking to a shorter boy with slivery-grey hair, a tall red-head was leaning on his shoulder laughing and poking his left cheek. And then, of course, there was the pissed off blonde girl. Marluxia, Zexion, Axel and, unfortunately, Larxene.

Roxas felt Rikku's grip tighten on his arm as though she was worried he was suddenly going to run away screaming as Demyx broke away from her and ran over to the fountain. The thought definitely crossed his mind when he caught sight of Seifer and his 'gang' standing a few feet away.

Rikku glances at him as she felt him stiffen, "What?" she followed the direction of his gaze and raised an eyebrow, "I'm guessing that's Seifer… please tell me he's the blonde one…"

"Yeah… That's him." Roxas confirmed.

"Oh thank _god,_" Rikku said, her posture slackening in relief. "Sorry," she shot Roxas an apologetic look as he raised an eyebrow at her. "I just don't think I could bring myself to be with either of the others. They look too… silent."

"Err, right." Roxas shook his head at her and opened his mouth again but Rikku stopped him.

"Shh. Now, go greet Mr. I Bang People Behind The Bike Shed Because I'm Bloody Sexy," she glanced over to where Demyx seemed to be introducing Yuffie and Naminé to his friends, "I'll be over there. _Make sure you bring him over_. Otherwise this day will be a total waste of time and you will be molested for no reason. Got it?"

He nodded.

"God. Now get your ass over there, my young padowan." She hugged him quickly and skipped over to the group, leaving poor Roxas shivering in his non-existent boots.

"Heya!" she cried happily as she bounded up to the group.

"We were wondering where you'd got to," Naminé said loudly, smiling at her, then she (fake) frowned. "Where's Roxas?"

"Oh!" said Rikku, equally loud and with (fake) surprise. "He's with Seifer," she gestured over to where Roxas and Seifer were saying a thorough non-verbal hello. She noticed Axel frown slightly, "He'll come over in a bit- What's wrong Yuffie?" she frowned at the dark-haired girl who was scowling at her with her arms folded over her chest.

"_You said I wasn't allowed to dye my hair._"

Silence.

"…What?" Rikku said, completely bewildered. She didn't remember this being in the plan.

"Remember when I wanted to dye my hair blonde so we'd _all_ be blonde's?"

"Yes… vaguely," she said, not seeing where this was going.

"Well you told me I couldn't because it was would silly."

"To be fair, it really would." Rikku pointed out, still not understanding where this had come from or where it was going.

"But that _boy_ had _pink hair_! And he's a _boy_!" she whine pointing an accusing finger at Marluxia.

"Oh for goodness sake…" Naminé murmured under her breath and rolled her eyes. She was used to Rikku and Yuffie arguing over childish things, but this really was ridiculous. Especially after they'd spent several hours of the night and morning going over the finer details of their plan.

"That's not the point! His hair looks really hot pink! A blonde you would just be-Roxie!" Rikku cut across herself and latched onto the blonde boy. She jumped back and turned to look at the stranger who had his arm around Roxas' shoulders. "And _you_ must be Seifer." She said, prodding his hard chest.

"No, I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past," he drawled sarcastically.

She raised her eyebrows in disdain, "Don't patronise me. _Do you know who I am?_ I am Roxas Harada's Best Friend. My name is _Rikku_ with _two_ 'k's and you will be sorry if you insult my intelligence again because I _will_ kick your ass. Got it?"

Seifer's cocky smirk disappeared in a flash. She smiled approvingly as Axel let a short laugh escape him.

"Rikku, calm down," Roxas said, glaring at her slightly.

Her jaw dropped. Roxas was taking the side of this wannabe hardo chav who was his (fakeFAKE**FAKE**) boyfriend over her? Then she remembered that he was _acting_.

"Sorry, Roxie!" she said, smiling sweetly at him.

"Um, this is Yuffie and Naminé…" Roxas said gesturing at the two girls who were staring at Seifer with mild interest. Seifer nodded at them politely. Rikku grimaced and turned around to face Axel.

"Hello Axel! You look annoyed about something. So does your girlfriend. Having a rocky relationship? Need to talk about it?" she asked brightly. Her lips curved into a triumphant smirk when he didn't answer. His eyes were narrowed at the couple behind her. She waved a hand in front of his face.

"Yoohoo, Axel! Anyone there?"

He blinked, shook his head slightly and brought his gaze down too her. "Uh- What? Sorry I wasn't-"

"Listening? I know. I was just saying how cute Roxas and Seifer look together, don't ya think they make a pretty hot couple?"

"I-I… I guess so?" he smiled uneasily and looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Larx, c'mere." He jerked his head and over she came, still looking exceedingly pissed off.

"This is Larxene she's my fri-"

"_Girlfriend,_" Larxene finished for him, glaring icily at Rikku.

"Um. Yeah. Whatever," Axel said vaguely, staring at Roxas and Seifer once again, he wandered off to where Demyx and Zexion were being talked to by Yuffie.

Rikku turned to grin at the slightly forlorn looking Larxene. She would have felt sorry for her is she hadn't suddenly narrowed her eyes like a bird of prey and said what she did next.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to. It's not going to work. Axel is _my_ boyfriend, your pouffy little pal doesn't stand a chance."

Rikku raised her eyebrows doubtfully, "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you; _I'm_ a professional."

"A professional what? Boyfriend stealer?" Larxene suggested, crossing her arms.

"Whatev, Trev," Rikku replied, going the 'talk to the hand' action and walking off.

-x-X-x-

**Author's Note: **bhahaha. I love Rikku. She's so funny. And i do actually feel sorry for Larxene, but it was - literally - her name that come out of the hat. So, what did you think? I'm sorry it's ended here... and that is was such a crappy chapter but the next one is soooo much better. I love the next chapter. Wow, i love a lot of such, don't I? Uh, yeah, i'm cool. Not. Meh. It makes me happy.

Read, Review, Party, Enjoy Life...

nirii xx


	21. Protection & McDonalds

Author's Note: Yo, bubs

**Author's Note: **Yo, bubs. I have an **Important notice** for you all! I've got a new story up! It's called Just Great (yeah, it was on my account before but I took it down, re-worked the plot and rewrote the story). Check it out. I'm pretty sure that if you're enjoying this you'll like it :D

Anyhoo, I think you'll like this chapter. And… don't ask about the first bit. It sucks, I know.

ENJOY!

_-o-x-Chapter 21-x-o-_

Sora sighed contently and snuggled down more into Riku's chest. They were lying on the main couch in the living room watching 'Scrubs'. It had to be the coolest television show ever. Those matching purple plastic suits that JD and Turk had were to die for. They really were.

He brought his head up as he felt Riku shift. "Sorry!" he said quickly, sitting up.

Riku frowned at him slightly in confusion, "What for?"

"Um… It doesn't... I don't know. Do you want anything?"

"Well, I _didn't_ want to move you 'cause you looked so damn cute but I'm kinda thirsty actually." He said, grinning lopsidedly.

Sora blushed, because even though he was actually, technically dating Riku, he still gave into silly little habits, "You should have said. Come on, I wanna make a _smooooothie._"

Riku laughed lightly and took Sora's hand as the brunette stood up and led him through to the kitchen.

Sora stopped in horror in the doorway, not believing the scene he was seeing before his eyes.

"…they were in the in the workshop mak- well, I'm sure you can guess. But then Ms. Lockhart found them. It wasn't a pretty scene, I can tell you. They're lucky they didn't get suspended. Then again, if it had been a _male_ teacher they probably would have, I guess they were just lucky."

"Yeah, I remember Demyx telling me about that. He was so scared that I would yell at him or something."

"Really? I can't imagine you ever shouting at him. Except over-"

"-a small gap."

Laughter erupted from the two adults sitting at the breakfast bar. Sora gasped and gripped Riku's hand tighter, whimpering slightly. His mother was exchanging pleasantries and small talk with his arch nemesis: Mr. Highwind, the Head of Physical Education and Health at Millbrook High. What was the world coming too?

"Sora? Don't stare at people like that, it's rude and makes you look gormless." Jess said, beckoning for him to enter the room.

The brunette looked nervously back at Riku who just rolled his eyes and pushed him forward lightly. He tripped and fell forward. Jess raised an eyebrow at him.

"Say hello, Sora," she said, indicating her '_friend_'.

Sora gulped nervously, "H-hello Mr High-"

"Sora, do you see a whiteboard? Or smelly locker rooms? You're not in school," Jess mocked, her arm jerking as though she wanted Sora's brain to catch up with the situation – and quickly.

The brunette was confused by this statement, "Um… what? …Oh! Hello… Cid?"

"Good boy, that's much better. Now. Be gone!" she waved him away.

Sora gratefully ran out of the room, grabbing Riku by the shirt on his way. He heard more laughter coming from the kitchen.

"Oh, and make sure you have _safe_ sex, boys. There's a heath teacher in the house!"

The laughter grew louder.

Sora sometimes wondered if he had done something terrible in a past life because he sure was paying up for something now.

"Hey, Sora," said a voice next to him. Sora turned and was forced onto the sofa by an eager Riku.

Maybe he had been a little bit good in his past life... Maybe he had been a _lot_ good in his past life.

-x-X-x-

Rikku choked on her apple and cinnamon muffin in surprise, "You think _what?_" she almost screamed. Naminé signaled for her to keep her voice down.

"I was only _suggesting _it. I wanted to know what you thought," Naminé whispered, looking around to see if anyone was listening in. Fortunately, Yuffie was doing a very good job of distracting everyone on the DDR machine.

"But… why? Roxas is only using Seifer, under _our_ instruction, to make Axel jealous. He's acting, remember?" Rikku would not even consider accepting that Naminé's suggestion might be true. Roxas would never like someone like Seifer. He was too… Rikku couldn't find the word to fix in there. It wasn't the fact that he was arrogant because Roxas quite liked that… He just wasn't the kind of guy Roxas would go for. Sure, he was good looking - and he definitely knew it - but there was just too much of something… and there was something missing too.

"Roxas can't be that good at acting, can he? I mean, if I didn't know what was going on I wouldn't think twice about them being a couple," Naminé stated, biting her lip in a mixture of confusion and agitation.

Rikku didn't reply for a while, she was observing Roxas and Seifer, deep in thought. She supposed they did look like your everyday couple if you looked at them through a stranger's eyes. Seifer had an arm around Roxas' waist, Roxas was smiling up at him and they were having what looked like a perfectly normal conversation. Every so often they would kiss, and there was nothing strange about that either.

"I don't know… Don't you remember in Junior High when we did Snow White in drama class? Roxas really was a very convincing tree."

Naminé rolled her eyes, deciding that she obviously wasn't going to get and sense out of Rikku right now. She jumped as there was a loud crash coming from the other side of the amusement arcade. Yuffie had apparently given up and ran off the dance machine, tripped and crashed headlong into Marluxia who was sent tumbling into a change machine. Fortunately, everything looked in tact. Marluxia seemed to disagree.

"Rikku, there is no point in lying to yourself."

"I'm _not_. Roxas can't like Seifer. He just… Urg, I don't know." Rikku scrunched up her face in annoyance.

"You know, you know really. Um… that didn't make sense. I just think that he might. And if he does, well, I suppose that's great. Because we only started this whole plan to get Roxas and Axel together so Roxas would be happy, didn't we?" Naminé pointed out logically.

"Yeah, I know. But Seifer's so… He's so I'm-Bigger-Than-You-So-I'm-Going-To-Steal-Your-Candy-And-Eat-It-In-Front-Of-You-Then-Give-You-The-Wrappers-So-It-Looks-Like-You-Ate-It-All," Rikku whined, "And Axel's so drool worthy!"

"You do have a point there. But still, the whole point of this was for Roxas to be happy, and if Seifer makes him happy then we'll just have to accept it."

"But you're only guessing this, right? You don't actually know that Roxas likes Bully-Guy?" Rikku asked hopefully.

"Well, yes," Naminé confirmed.

"Good. Hmm. I hope we can find out soon."

-x-X-x-

"Roxas? What _are_ you doing?" Zexion frowned at the blonde boy who was currently ducking behind him.

"Don't move!" Roxas whispered. "I need to get away from Seifer for a bit."

Zexion froze and looked over to where Seifer was being distracted by Yuffie, "All right. On the count of three move to the right."

"Right."

"Okay… One… Two…" Zexion whispered. "Three!" He grabbed Roxas' right arm and they ran to the food court.

Three short minutes later they stopped outside a classic red, yellow and white McDonalds. Zexion released his grip on Roxas' arm and fell into on of the many chairs surrounding them.

"Th-Thanks, Zexion…" Roxas panted, leaning his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Don't mention it," The grey-haired boy replied, waving an airy hand dismissing it.

"Urg." Roxas joined his friend, sitting down on the red chair next to him. "I've been with him for almost three straight hours and he had asked me at least eleven times if he has 'proven himself' yet. It's so goddamn annoying."

Zexion nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, he's very persistent, isn't he?"

"Just a bit," Roxas snorted.

"It's working though," he added.

"What is? You don't- You don't mean- I am _not_ going to shag Seifer! Just- no. Just no. I'm just _not_." Roxas screwed up his face in disgust.

"No, you imbecile," Zexion rolled his eyes at the blonde. "I mean it's working on Axel. He's been glaring at Seifer all day."

"…Really?" Roxas asked hopefully.

"Haven't you noticed? Everyone else had. That's why Larxene stormed off earlier."

The blonde's jaw dropped, but it was quickly replaced by a triumphant grin.

"Hmm. I thought you'd like to hear that. Don't get your hopes too high though, they are still together, remember."

Roxas' grin slipped slightly and he nodded. "I know."

"Have you actually had a proper conversation with Seifer?" Zexion asked, clearing his throat.

"Ye_ah_… Well, sort of. He's very interested in you guys. Especially Hayner. Which is rather odd. Maybe he's planning to use what I'm saying about him to insult Hayner next time they have a fight. Hm. Whatever."

"I see."

"Yeah," Roxas said, leaning back in his chair, "he's actually alright. Sometimes. When he's not- well, you know."

"Yes. Have you spoken to Demyx yet?" Zexion inquired.

"Um, no, not yet. I haven't really had a chance with Rikku, Naminé and Yuffie being here and all. But… They're going back tomorrow." He said wistfully.

"Yeah, Demyx told me." Zexion said, patting his shoulder awkwardly.

"Yeah." Roxas was most certainly not looking forward to tomorrow. In fact, he was dreading it. He'd be all alone again. Well, not really, he had all his new friend, but it wasn't the same. He had just grown accustomed to having those three girls there whenever he needed them again, and now they were going and he'd have to actually pick up the phone and dial a number if he wanted to speak to them. Talking to someone on the phone is different to talking to someone in person. It's harder to know what to say because you can't see their expression, and you can't hug someone over the phone.

"Group alert," Zexion warned. "No sign of Seifer though," he added, scanning the crowd of teenagers. Roxas felt slightly better when he said that.

"Go talk to Axel," the grey-haired boy instructed. "Now."

Roxas didn't question him and found himself walking towards the said red-head without even realising it. Wow, even his subconscious being liked Axel.

"Hey, Roxas. Fed up of being slobbered over by your 'hard ass' boyfriend?" Axel joked. Roxas could almost hear the inverted commas.

"Hmpf. You alright?" Axel was _not_ going to talk to him about Seifer. Roxas had a head like a sieve and a mouth like a jack in the box when it came to talking about Seifer. Or so Rikku had told him, he wasn't sure whether to believe her or not but he decided that it was a good idea to steer clear of the subject of Seifer.

"Pretty good, you?" Axel cocked his head to one side, grinning slightly.

"I'm good."

"Great."

"Yeah."

"…"

Well, wasn't this a _thrilling_ conversation?

"Your friends really are something else…" Axel laughed quietly, watching the three girls harassing Demyx and Zexion.

"Yeah, they're really- they mean… they really are." Roxas was stumbling over it words some what. His hands were clammy and he wasn't sure why. He was _only_ talking to the person who could possibly the love of his life. Sheesh! There was no need to be nervous! Honestly, you would think he was a love-struck hormonal teenager with rather strange friends and had older guys hitting on him. And that was just silly. Gah. His stupid brain was coming unhinged again. He really needed to-

"Roxas? You alright?"

His somewhat mad thoughts were interrupted by Axel who was giving him a wary look as though he was about to be dragged off by those nice men in white coats and put in a straight jacket.

"Uh, yeah. Just thinking," he muttered.

"Sure. You pull really weird faces when you space out." The red-head smirked.

Damn it. That smirk really made Roxas get close to his limit of self-control. He turned away, telling his brain off for wanting him to stand on a table and yell "I WANT YOUR BABIES! TAKE ME NOW!" at the top of his voice. He'd only been living here for just over a month and he didn't want to be banned from the mall just yet.

"So…" Roxas scanned the room for a topic of conversation. "Have you ever wondered why Germans are so obsessed with sausages?" A bunch of German tourists were the best thing he could find. Jeez, give the guy a break.

"Don'ttalktomeaboutgermanIfuckinghategerman." Axel scowled over at the tourist as if it was somehow their fault. Which, actually, if you think about it… it kind of is. Because if there weren't people that spoke it then it would be a dead language and he wouldn't have to learn it.

"Heh. Sorry," Roxas said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"What for?" Axel asked. Roxas' apology was delayed and he'd lost track of the conversation.

"Uh, mentioning German?"

"Oh. Right."

"Yeah."

Okay, this was becoming an awkward, stilted conversation. And Roxas hated those. With a passion. It was all Zexion's fault. If he hadn't mentioned the fact that his friends were leaving tomorrow he wouldn't be in this mess, because thinking about Naminé, Rikku and Yuffie made him think that he should be doing the next number of the list, which made him think about Axel, which made him think- actually, you really don't want to know.

_'Right, time to do the next thing on the Newly Adapted List That Is Much More Suitable For Guys.'_

When Roxas had got to number six he point blank refused to do it. Fortunately, Rikku didn't argue. She seemed to think that is was inappropriate and would make him look like he had replacement hips. She said that it had been Yuffie's idea anyway.

Truth be told, he was kind of wary of this one. Apparently this would be the breaking point and Roxas was really nervous because now he would find out if there was a chance Axel liked him… or not.

He took a deep breath and looked up into the red-head's eyes. Axel gave him a funny look but Roxas just remembered Rikku's instructions. He was going to follow them exactly how she said, and if it didn't work it would be all her fault. Ah, it was so much easier to blame other people than it is to blame yourself.

_'Ooh, this one's really good. I love it. Right, all you have to do is look into his eyes, like real deep, for a few seconds. Then you slowly let your eyes travel down the nose to the lips. Slowly, yeah? S-L-O-W-L-Y. Got it? Good. Then you just spend around seven seconds having a fantasy, uh - I don't want to hear about that part though - and you look back up to his eyes. And Smile. Oh! How about, also, when you're looking at his lips, lick yours. Yes? Good.'_

Roxas let out a sigh of relief.

_'Phew, glad that's over. All I need now is Axel's reaction. Oh dear, he looks a bit dumbstruck. Damnit. That's not good. Damn it Rikku this is all your fault! When I get my-'_

His head slammed against the wall in Axel's haste. Axel pressed his lips feverishly against Roxas'. Roxas returned the kiss with just as much force, perhaps more. Though, it took him a few seconds to realise what was happening. Axel pulled away for a short second in which he just looked at Roxas, looked all over his face. Roxas could see his eyes move from his own, to his nose, cheeks, forehead (oh God, did he have any spots?) and then back to his lips... and he closed his eyes and the tonsil tennis began again.

_'…I love you girls so bloody much right now. ...No wait, scratch that; forget the girls. I love Axel!'_

-x-X-x-

"Hey, Naminé! Check it out." Rikku called, nodding over at two figures against the wall.

"Oh my god! That is _never_ Axel and Roxas!" she cried.

"Oh yes it is!" Rikku cackled triumphantly. "God, I'm good. Who's the daddy? _I'm the fucking daddy!_ Oh yeah! You got it. I should think of setting up a business: 'How To Get The One You Want, The Rikku Way.' This could be the start of a whole new career!"

Naminé rolled her eyes, "Alright, calm down now."

"I _can't_ calm down! Besides, I was _right_! Roxas doesn't like Seifer. Do you still think he does?"

Naminé glanced at the two boys who were getting as close to rabbiting as a public area would allow."…Maybe not."

"Exactly. I am good. Oh so very good."

-x-X-x-

**Beta:** hell yes, bitches. i wrote a bit 'cause i'm COOL like dat.

**Author's Note: **_YEEESSSS!_ Man, I am one happy author. I would just like to point out to **Peachie Bunni **that you got your wish! I hope you liked it xD

Doods, do me a favour and review this chapter. I love it when you review. And I think this chapter deserves it. Just for the last section.

Read, Review, Party, Enjoy Life…

nirii xx


	22. Bad Timing & Accidents

**Author's note: **Jolly Bananas! I was well please with all the review you guys gave me! And i'm really sorry that this update is so late... I've been on holiday and then i had a load of coursework so... yeah I didn't get round to it. Anyway, this chapter is... interesting. It's like plot development. Actually, it's a bit too late in the story to be plot development but, whatever. I hope you enjoy it... err, yeah.

_-o-x-Chapter 22-x-o-_

"Roxas, you have to promise to call _every night_! Okay?" Rikku insisted, hugging him again for good measure.

It was weird to think how many different types of hugs there were. You've got the awkward 'we're two manly heterosexual men' hug, the 'oh my god I haven't seen you for ages' hug, the classic 'don't' leave me, I love you' kind of hug and the 'thanks, you are such a great friend' hug… you could go on forever.

Now, this was an 'oh my god! You're leaving me to my doom! I'm going to miss you so much but I really hate you right now' hug.

"Of course I will. I don't know how I'm going to manage without you guys." He said, laughing softly and initiating a big group hug.

"You won't be able to. Without us you will shrivel up from lack of… uh… hugs and sugar and stuff and you will have to live the rest of your life as a moldy old prune." Yuffie grinned and hugged him tighter.

"Nah… not a prune. More like a raisin. They taste better." Rikku mumbled into his shoulder.

Roxas chuckled softly, "Man, I'm going to miss you guys way too much."

"Of course you are, how could you not?" Yuffie claimed arrogantly.

Naminé nudged her in the ribs with a pointy elbow, rolling her eyes when Yuffie gave her a confused look and mouthed 'what?'

"We're going to miss you too, Roxas."

"I know." He smiled untwining himself from the three girls. He really was going to miss them. He was also worried that there was a possibility that he might lose his mind without them here to give that extra touch of insanity.

"Hurry up you lot. You'll miss the flipping train!" Jess yelled from the car.

"Just a minute!" Rikku shouted back, "Alright, Roxie, everything is going perfectly. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine, okay?"

"Uh huh."

"And _make sure you call us._ We need daily - if not more frequent - reports on what's going on." Yuffie insisted, gently thumping his shoulder and laughing.

"Yeah. Everyday." Naminé added.

"Hey. You know me, of course I will." He said, grinning.

"Actually, you have a point there. We'll call you." Rikku decided, shaking her head in amusement.

"Gah, I can see how rapidly I shall lose the credit on my phone." Yuffie mused, staring at the wall over Roxas' left shoulder, a serious expression fixed onto her face.

"I'm glad I mean so much to you, Yuffie." Roxas laughed as she grinned apologetically.

"_Guyys! _I need you to come to the car!" Jess whined again from outside.

"You'd better go…" Roxas said wistfully.

"Ha! I knew you could wait to get rid of us, Roxas Harada! You evil cretin, you." Yuffie exclaimed, jabbing him in the chest.

Rikku shoved her to the side, "You'll have to excuse her, she lost her medication," she tutted like an old grandma, "Now, Roxie darling, be good. Don't play any kissing games unless you are drunk, don't try to entice anyone unless they're hot, don't take a tumble in the bleachers during a pep rally unless you don't want to and don't resist that man candy. It's nice." She nodded solemnly before kissing briefly on the cheek and walking out of the door, dragging a protesting Yuffie and a disbelieving Naminé with her.

Roxas grinned as he leant against the doorframe, watching as they all piled into the car. He really was going to miss them, and you never really know just how much you are going to miss a person until they're gone. He had realised that when his parents had died.

His smile was a little strained as he waved goodbye, laughing quietly at their calls and jokey declarations of love. He didn't stop waving even though his arm was aching and screaming in protest. He only stopped and turned around when the car was nothing but a speak on the horizon.

He sighed and slouched over to the sitting room, practically throwing himself into one of the armchairs and closing his eyes. Unfortunately, as he couldn't close his ears, he didn't get the peace and quiet he wanted. After a while of trying to ignore the disturbing noises coming from the couch, he snapped.

"Jesus _Christ! _Get a fucking room, guys!"

The noises stopped and were replaced by murmuring and giggles from Sora.

"Sorry, Rox."

Roxas heard Riku whisper something and Sora giggle once again, then they both raced out of the room.

Roxas scowled and muttered darkly under his breaking. Stupid people and their stupid perfect relationships.

His mind wandered over to the happenings of the past two weeks. It was strange to think that this time three weeks ago he had been worrying about what his new High School would be like when, now, he had obtained several new friends, a crush - he refused to call it an obsession, he was not a girl - and fake boyfriend. Okay, that last part was weird.

He didn't quite know what to do about Seifer. He wasn't actually as much of a bastard as Roxas had first thought. Although, he was still overly arrogant, mean, strangely obsessed with Roxas' friends and a bully. And he had scary friends.

He wasn't sure if the time had yet come to break up with him or not. Yesterday had been good. Scratch that, yesterday had been fucking _brilliant_. But he was confused. After a breath taking snogging session Axel had excused himself, saying that he needed to take care of something.

What that something was, Roxas didn't know, though Rikku and Yuffie had a lot of fun coming up with dirty ideas of what it could be.

This time two weeks ago he'd kissed Axel for the first time. In the hall just out there.

He sighed and rubbed his tired eye with the heel of his hands. He decided that, since he had nothing better to do, he would take Zexion's advice and go talk to Demyx.

He raised himself from the chair and slouched upstairs, ignoring the stifled giggling and murmuring coming from Sora's room, and made his way to Demyx's room.

He didn't bother knocking. He knew no sound would be able to penetrate through the loud music playing. Roxas twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

His bright eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

"W-what the hell?"

Roxas turned on his heel, slamming the door behind him and ran to his own room. He had _not_ wanted to see that. The sight the completely befuddled him and he didn't know what to do. How do you react to finding your cousin getting off with one of your best friends?

It seemed to make sense now. Roxas knew why Zexion had been spending so much time with Demyx since they had met. But why hadn't Zexion _told him_? Did he think that Roxas would be disgusted and appalled and refuse to talk to him No, Zexion knew him better than that.

There had to be more to it.

He blushed in embarrassment as he heard Demyx calling after him. It's bad enough to walk in on _anyone _but it is about ten times worse when you're related to one of them.

Roxas pushed open the door to his own bedroom and collapsed onto his bed.

"Roxas?" there was a tentative knock at the door.

Roxas groaned as Demyx meekly poked his head around the door. He bit his lip nervously as he silently slipped into the room and crept over to Roxas' bed, plonking himself down next to him, making sure to leave a suitable gap between them. Even Demyx could be tactful when it was needed.

"Zexion's gone." He said softly, glancing at his cousin earnestly.

Roxas covered his face with his hands and groaned. He _really_ did not want to have to go through the embarrassment this conversation would surely involve. You just don't talk about it when you see things like that; it is way too uncomfortable.

"I'm really sorry, Dem. I didn't know. I should have knocked but you had your music on and I didn't think you would be able to hear me and… yeah." He ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair agitatedly.

"I should have told you about me and Zexion. I mean, this wasn't just a one-off thing. I really, really-" Demyx paused and his brow furrowed in confusion, "wait. Did you just apologise?"

Roxas nodded, covering his face with his hands again.

"…why?"

Roxas couldn't believe Demyx was asking him this. Was he actually being serious? Did he just want to point and luagh at the faces he would surely pull while explaining this to him? Would he have to say it in plain words? Or was Demyx just genuinely confused?

"I'm sorry for walking in on- on you and Zexion." He said it slowly, pronouncing each word carefully and correctly; he really didn't want to repeat himself again.

"Yeah, I got that," Roxas really shouldn't think so low of a family member, "But… shouldn't I be apologising to you?" Demyx asked, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Why should you be sorry? I'm the one that interrupted you"£ Roxas cried, falling back onto his plumped pillows.

Demyx laughed and fell back onto the pillows next to him. "What a misunderstanding." He sighed. "I guess I should tell you everything now." He laughed a little manically, his eyes over bright.

Roxas glanced at him slightly nervously; he couldn't help but think that he was going to get an earful of something he really didn't want to know about.

"Ya see, "Demyx folded his arms behind his head and began telling his tale. Although he was talking to Roxas, his eyes were fixed on the photo of a posing Rikku, Yuffie, Roxas and Naminé attached to the space of ceiling above his eye line. "When Mom and Dad first split up, I lived with Dad and Sora stayed here."

Roxas' eyebrows furrowed slightly. Why on earth was Demyx telling him something he already knew? He decided against interrupting him though, now Demyx had started talking he looked like he wanted to get it over and done with.

"And I had this friend." He smiled. "Zexion."

Roxas nodded, indicating for Demyx to continue.

"So, um, yeah. Then Dad's new girlfriend moved in and, well, we didn't get on very well…"

Roxas found it difficult to believe that there was anyone that could dislike Demyx. He was just that kind of person that gets along with anyone and everyone.

"And Mom said I could come back and live with her and Sora. Dad didn't have anything against it, though I think he was a little disappointed because he's been really keyed up about us being a 'proper family' again." Demyx spat the last part out bitterly. "So I moved back in with Mom and I promised to keep in touch with Zex but then, about five-ish months after I have left he just stopped texting, emailing, writing or making any sort of contact with me at all."

Roxas frowned, that didn't sound like something Zexion would do at all. He started to say this but Demyx stopped him.

"I know, just wait." He cleared his throat and spoke again, "I heard from another friend that he had been in some sort of accident. Something serious. Turns out it was a motorbike crash."

Roxas couldn't help but let a gasp of shock escape him. Demyx smiled at him sadly.

"Eventually I stopped hoping that I would hear from him again. I just let him kinda find into the back of my mind. But then you found him. You brought him here and I- I didn't recognise him at first, he looks so different." There was a smile playing around his face now. "Until he introduced himself I didn't realise who he was. And then I took him to my room and he told me what had happened."

By now Roxas was itching to know what had happened. Zexion hadn't told him anything about an accident or that he had previously known Demyx. Then again, Zexion hadn't really told him anything much about himself, not even why he had moved here.

"Apparently, the accident _had_ been pretty serious and he had had to go under a series of operations and some plastic surgery."

Roxas winced, "Ouch, he must have been pretty messed up…"

"Yeah," Demyx grimaced. "Anyway, he had a tutor over this time and then, when all that surgery was over and he was healed, his parents wanted him to make a fresh start so they moved him here."

"Wow." Roxas whistled and raised his eyebrows; that was quite a story.

"Yeah," Demyx sighed. "He's still got a scar, you know. Even after all that surgery he had to go through, he had still got this huge scar over his left eye. That's why he wears his hair like that." He explained.

Roxas nodded to show that he had taken it all in.

"You know, you didn't need to tell me all that." Roxas told him.

"I know," Demyx grinned, "but I wanted to."

-x-X-x-

**Author's Note: **It wasn't too aweful, was it? gah...

read, review, party, enjoy life...

nirii xx


	23. Banishment & Dumping

**Author's Note: **Oh my gosh, I am soooo sorry! It's been almost a month since I last updated! Yeah, school work has been really bad this term. It _sucks_ but I can't really do anything about , I've actually finished this story. I would like to warn you that only one chapter (and an epilogue) after this is to come. Just thought I would tell you. So, enjoy this chapter. And again, I am _really_ sorry for the delayed update!

_-o-x-Chapter 23-x-o-_

"_Isn't she lov-er-leee? Isn't she bee-u-ti-fooolll?"_

"Shut up, Jess." Roxas instructed, cutting across her - ahem - singing.

She grinned cheekily, "Aww, I can't help it. You all look so handsome!" she declared, pinching Demyx on the cheek. She laughed as he squeaked and batted her hand away. "Very manly, Demy."

Both Roxas and Sora snorted into their laps. He coughed and grinned at her, shaking his head, only a little embarrassed.

"How can you laugh, Sora?" Demyx asked, smirking. "Your voice only broke last year and it was _so damn high_ before…"

"Yeah, well," the brunette shifted uncomfortable on his stool, his cheeks tinged a light shade of magenta, "it had not, so- urg, shut up." He scowled as Jess and Demyx howled with laughter.

Roxas grinned to himself and shook his head in amusement. Although he was laughing on the outside, his stomach was churning with worry. He had absolutely no idea how he should act around Axel now. It wasn't as if they were going out (yet) - they were both still 'with' other people, unless Seifer had moved on to someone else in the last few hours - but they did have a very heated making out session at the mall on Saturday.

Why did Rikku, Yuffie and Naminé have to have left now? If only they could have stayed another week or so, then they could have told him what he should do. Why does everything happen at really annoying and inconvenient moments? If his life was a movie they would still be here now, giving him moral support and telling him what to do. Or possibly shoving him out of the door so he wasn't late it see his "Axey-baby". Who ever was writing the script for his life, well, he had a few complaints for_ them._

Demyx raised his eyebrows slightly and tilted his head to one side quizzically. Roxas nodded to say that he was fine. After Demyx's 'rant' about Zexion yesterday, Demyx had questioned Roxas closely about Axel. Apparently he had seem the, um, session in the mall on Saturday and was intrigued to know what exactly was going on. Roxas practically spilled his guts out and then, infuriatingly, received nothing in return. Demyx supposedly knew Axel's side of the story and how he felt about everything that had happened _and_ what the red-head was planning to do but he refused to tell Roxas a single thing. He had said it was his duty as a friend not to reveal anything Axel had told him. Bloody relatives.

"Oi, Roxas! Snap outta it, you'll be late for school." Jess told him, clicking her somehow annoyingly loud fingers at him.

He jumped, and then grinned sheepishly.

"What were you scowling at, eh?" she asked, marching over to the sink and pulling on a pair of marigold gloves.

'_Because you took my friends to the train station, you evil bitch, and your son is EVIL_. He thought to himself, trying not to laugh or growl at her.

"I was just thinking about the English essay I have in for today. I think I did it wrong." Damn, he was getting good at lying. Rikku must be rubbing off on him…

"Yeah, _surreee_ you were…" she grinned and winked at him. "Go get 'im, tiger."

Roxas blushed but grinned cheerfully.

He grabbed his bag from the floor, waved to her and rushed out of the door after Demyx and Sora.

Jess shook her head and sighed in amusement and longing. Sometimes she wished she was back in High School. Actually, that was a lie, she just wished she was that young again. She remembered in her Junior year-

_Brrrring. Brrrring. _

She jumped as the phone rang, snapping her out of her reminisce. She plucked the washing-up gloves off her hands, scrambled over to the phone and scooped it up.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Jess. It's Cloud."_

"Oh, hey! You back from the business trip then?" she asked, settling back down at the breakfast bar and began buttering a slice of toast.

_"Yeah, I just got back and I thought I should probably ring you."_

"Uh huh. Well you've missed a lo- the boys have missed you." She smirked evilly to herself as she refrained from telling him any of their news.

_"I've missed them too."_

"Good. Oh, how's Tifa?" Jess asked as she took a large bite out of her thickly buttered toast. She would regret putting that much butter on later, but it was hard to control the amount of butter you scooped out of the tub when you were on the phone.

"_She's great. We were wondering if we could visit sometime? I mean, before we come for Christmas."_

"I think that would be a good idea," she giggled slightly, trying to stifle it with her hand.

_"Why are you laughing? Has something happened- oh my god, Demyx bed caught fire again, didn't it? I knew we should have made him share a room with Sora-"_

"No, nothing like that. Besides, that was an accident!"

_"Hmm… Whatever."_

"Yeah."

_"Are you gonna tell me what's happened?"_

"Um…" Jess contemplated this for a few seconds, "No." she took another bite of her toast. "You'll just have to find out when you get here."

_"Damn."_

-x-X-x-

"Roxas? I thought you had German now."

Roxas looked up from his shoes into the warm brown eye of Olette. "Hey, Olette. I do."

"You're not skiving, are you?" she asked a hint of disapproval edging her voice, folding her arms across her chest.

"No… I got sent out." He admitted.

"Oh… why?" she looked rather shocked and perplexed.

"My cell phone rang."

"Ouch. She must be in a worse mood than usual today." Olette sympathised.

"Hmm."

"What's up with you today? You seem a little… deflated." She stated, her eyebrows contracting slightly with concern.

"… I'm fine." He insisted. He sighed when Olette rose her eyebrows doubtfully. "Alright, Axel's not here and I though he might-"

"Are you out?" she offered.

"_No_… I just though he would be here… I need to talk to him." Roxas sighed and leaned back against the row of lockers behind him.

"Okay… well, he's probably just ill or something." She reassured him.

"_Maybe_, but I don't think he wants to see me. You see, when I got off with him at the mall on Saturday he-"

"You_ what_?" Olette stared at him in shock.

Oops. Perhaps he had failed to mention that to her before. "Um, didn't I tell you… that?" he asked, wincing weakly.

"No, you didn't. I bet Seifer wasn't happy about that." She laughed lightly.

"I don't know, he wasn't there. We kinda ran away from him." Roxas grinned, brushing away a strand of hair from his eyes.

"Sounds like you had fun…" she laughed.

"Yeah, but then he just went. He said he had to go take care of something or something."

"Oh… so you think he's avoiding you now?"

Roxas snorted; that was pretty obvious, wasn't it?

-x-X-x-

Roxas slouched dejectedly down the corridor. He wasn't angry or upset or- well, he didn't quite know _how_ he felt. He just knew that he felt, full stop. He was confused. Why wasn't Axel here? _Was_ he avoiding him or was Roxas just being really paranoid? Roxas couldn't understand why Axel would want to avoid him… If he didn't like him then surely he wouldn't have kissed him, right?

He sighed and shook his head. There was no point in wondering and attempting to guess anything. He knew he'd only get it wrong. Damn it. He desperately needed to call Rikku.

Speaking of calling people, who was this stupid twat who kept trying to call him? They had called twice while he was in his German lesson, once while he was banished from the room and twice during break. Whoever it was, they must have given up. Zexion had suggested that it might be Rikku or someone like that but he already had the numbers stored in his phone. There was someone he thought it could possibly be but he didn't want to get his hopes up.

Roxas looked up as he turned into the corridor that contained his locker. He half groaned when the lone figure of Seifer snapped into his line of sight, though he tried very hard to hide it.

This was perhaps the very last person he felt like talking to right now. Just his flipping luck.

He forced a grin on to his face and waved at him. Seifer nodded back. Roxas wondered if Rikku, Yuffie and Naminé would scream at him on the phone later is he broke up with Seifer now. Probably, was the answer he came up with. He just didn't want to be with Seifer anymore - not that he ever had - and he felt really bad for using him in the he had, and still was. Besides, he felt that if he left a gap between dumping Seifer, in a nice way of course, and getting together with Axel, if it ever happened, there might be a chance he could stay friends with Seifer. Roxas thought that he would actually be a pretty nice guy and potentially a good friend if he didn't spend all his time trying to get into his pants. Okay, that sounded weird.

Anyway, wasn't there a saying that things happen when you give up?

_'Okay Roxas,'_ he thought, _'just act normal. Go up to him and kiss him then bring it up… somehow. Oh god, I am going to die. Farewell cruel world!'_

Now he was being over dramatic. Honestly, what would his mother say?

_'Aah! Stupid brain… Don't think about her _now_.'_

"Hey Seifer." Roxas said warmly, planting a chaste on the older blonde's lips.

"Hey," he replied, smiling quickly, "you alright?"

"Yep," Roxas said, punching in the dial for his locker, "just dandy. You?"

"Yeah, not bad." Seifer ducked his head and rubbed the nape of his neck awkwardly.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look kinda tense."

Seifer smirked and leaned down, inducing a game of tonsil hockey, wrapping his arms around Roxas' waist. A group of idiotic freshmen girls walked past, one wolf whistled and they all broke out into a fit of giggles. Roxas mentally smacked his forehead and resisted the urge to send an obscene hand gesture their way.

Seifer pulled away and leant back against the locker next to Roxas, rubbing his forehead and grimacing. "Listen, Roxas…"

"Hmm?" Roxas looked up at him quizzically. He would have to get on with finishing it with Seifer, he promised to meet the others in a bit.

"I'm really sorry about this because I know how much you like me and all." Seifer started. This was all news to Roxas but he refrained form saying anything. "I just don't think this is working."

…What did he just say? He doesn't think it's working? Doesn't think what's working? The queuing system in the canteen? Yeah, it was pretty retarded that the prefects could just push in front of you in the jet line but, jeez, get over it. "You don't think what's working?"

Seifer gulped. "Us?"

"Us?" Roxas' eyebrows shot up in surprise, he had not expected this, he hey! It was good, one less thing of him to do. All he had to do was act like he was distraught and he would be fine. "But I-"

"I know, I'm sorry. You see, this was just supposed to be a, you know, a good no strings attached shag and then you said you wanted to get to know me better first and I thought you were just playing hard to get and that you'd be worth it when I got you, but I don't think I was right-"

"Are you saying I'm _not_ worth it?" Roxas almost cried out, ignoring the random passer by who told him 'not to get his panties in a twist'. To be honest, he couldn't really care less whether Seifer wanted to fuck him or not but, well, a man has got to have some pride. I mean Seifer would shag practically anyone.

"Hell no! I'm sure you are cause, well, look at you!" You're slam the brakes on to get a better look fuckable, but… there's someone I like better. I've, err, liked him for a while."

Holy orange elephants! Was he really having this conversation with Seifer? Okay, this was one thing he never expected to talk to him about. "…Who?"

"I-err…" He coughed and smiled a silly half-smirk/half-grin. "Hayner."

Woah. Rewind and _freeze_. Seifer likes _Hayner?_ What the hell… They can barely look at each other without getting into a fight. Talk about a love/hate relationship.

"Don't look at me like that!" Seifer groaned.

"Oh, sorry." Roxas took the mixture of surprised and freaked out expression off his face. "It's just, well, you're not exactly nice to him, are you?"

"I know. And I've known him since we were fucking _babies._"

Ew, Seifer in a diaper. That was a really weird image.

"Do- do you know if he likes me?" The older boy asked, almost timidly. He wasn't acting, well, like Seifer. He was acting like an almost normal human being, whatever one of those was.

"I don't know." He answered truthfully. "Sorry."

"S'alright. I guess I probably shouldn't be asking you since we just broke up and all…" He trailed off, cracking his gum awkwardly. "Anyways, I'll see you around, yeah? We can still be fri-"

"Sure. You don't need to say that. Sounds cheesy." Roxas muttered.

Seifer grinned and winked at him before being hailed over by a group of passing seniors.

Roxas shook his head and turned to shut his locker, making his way towards the bench under the tree they had gotten into the habit of sitting at. He still couldn't believe Seifer liked Hayner. He had no idea if Hayner like him. Hell, he didn't know if Hayner even like guys in that way at all.

Pence, Olette, Kairi, Tidus and Selphie waved him over to their table when they saw him.

"Hey Roxas!" Selphie squealed, making Tidus budge up to the end of the bench to make room for Roxas to sit down.

"Hey."

"You alright, man?" Tidus asked, replacing his arm around Selphie.

"Yeah, has anyone seen Hayner?"

"He went just before you got here." Pence told him. "Why?"

Roxas snorted. "You could say I have good news for him."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, me and Seifer broke up."

"Yes!" Pence and Tidus exclaimed in delight, they laughed and high-fived.

"Don't get too excited," Roxas warned, grinning. "He likes Hayner."

Pence and Hayner exchanged identical looks of horror, Selphie squealed, Olette gasped and Kairi even turned her attention away from Sora and Riku who were sitting on the grass a little way off and stared at him. Their table was silent except for Selphie's persistent giggles, until-

"Five bucks, Kairi."

The red-head snapped her attention to Olette. "What?"

"You own me five bucks. We had a bet, remember?" she replied simply.

Kairi mutter something about it slipping her mind but handed the money over albeit grudgingly. Tidus and Pence were staring at the two girls, open-mouthed.

"What?" Olette asked innocently.

"I-you- you bet on…" Tidus spluttered.

"Oh come on, it was it obvious they were secretly wanting to fuck the other's brains out."

Roxas snorted as Pence's head connected loudly with the table.

**Author's Note: **Oooh, that was a little longer than usual, wasn't it? Excellent. How was it? It's probably not the best I could have done it but, meh. I was at a concert last night and I am really tired (I haven't slept since Thursday). So, yeah, I will leave to enjoy a nice warm shower and then sleep. Finally.

Read, review, party, enjoy life…

Love, nirii xx


	24. Phone Calls & Doorbells

**Author's Note: **Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for the delay in my update. I wasn't happy with this chapter the first time I wrote it so a tried to think of a different way to do it, which took me ages. But anyway. Think of this as a very, very, very late Christmas/Hanukkah present, depending which one you celebrate, if any. Okay? Yeeessssss. Enjoy!

_-o-x-Chapter 24-x-o-_

"_Roxie! How was it_?" Rikku sang down the phone.

"Not bad," Roxas admitted, flopping down onto his bed. He had come to this conclusion as he was walking home with Sora and Riku - who were now being interrogated by Jess and one of her even scarier friends. Sure, Axel hadn't been there and Seifer had dumped him but, hey, he wasn't cut up about it. Well, he wished he wasn't.

_"Missing me already_?" she asked.

"Course I am. I was almost shitting myself this morning; I didn't know what to do." He laughed and closed his eyes calmly.

"_Why didn't you ring me and ask, you silly darling_?"

"What? And be given an earful for waking you up? I don't think so… Besides, I can't rely on you to tell me what to do _all_ the time."

"_Maybe not. I'm thinking of writing a book - How To Get The One You Want - snazzy, don't ya thing? Hey, stop laughing_!"

Roxas clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. He could hear Rikku muttering irritably until he finally managed to stop. "Sorry."

"_Yeah, you will be. Seriously though, I reckon it would be an instant best seller. Or maybe I could run a business to help people 'get that special person' like I did with you._"

"Hey, we don't know if it's quite worked yet," Roxas sighed.

"_Ah, don't be so unconfident. You'll be making beautiful babies with him any time now. Trust me._"

Roxas coughed, "Um, yeah."

"_So, did anything happen today?_"she asked after a rather pregnant pause.

"Well, I broke up with Seifer." Roxas crossed his fingers, hoping she wasn't going to start shouting at him.

"_Why on earth_-"

"Or rather, he broke up with me." If he said it that way (which was the truth) it sounded like it wasn't his fault at all.

"_He did _what_?!_" Rikku screamed down the phone. "_That complete and utter bastard! He doesn't deserve a penis. Why I outta_-"

Roxas held the phone a little bit away from his ear as she ranted about what she should do to Seifer. He heard her pause for breath and quickly said, "He likes Hayner."

"_Really? Oh. Well, I approve of that_,"_ s_he decided.

"Err… Did you even meet Hayner?" he asked, frowning form lack of memory and rubbing his forehead.

"_I think so. To be honest, I met so many people most of them have just kinda mushed into one. Except Axel, of course._"

Roxas snorted. "Right."

"_Sooo, did anything else happen?_"

"Actually, yes."

Rikku squealed so loudly Roxas almost dropped the phone. "_What happened_??"

"Oh dear, I can't seem to remember…" Roxas lied, grinning. "What a shame."

"_Roxas. Don't you dare lie to me._" She threatened through gritted teeth. "_I have pictures of you that you really won't want other people to see. I'll post them up all around your new school in the dead of night and you won't be able to go anywhere without someone making some sort of comment and you will cry and have to leave your school, which means leaving Axel and- hey, then you can come back _here_!_"

"Err, yes Rikku."

"_You don't _want_ to come back, do you? You evil _swine!" she gasped theatrically and Roxas could just picture her rolling around her room, striking dramatic poses.

"Gah, do you want to know or not?" he snapped, pretending to be irritated to shut her up.

"_Yes. Tell away Roxie._"

"Well, I overheard Demyx complaining to Zexion about Larxene. Apparently she had been really pissy all day - like, more than usual."

"_I know where this is going. Ha!_" she shouted triumphantly.

"Yeah, I asked why and Demyx laughed and said that Axel had dumped her yesterday." It made Roxas feel a little sorry for Larxene but he still couldn't keep the shy smile off his face.

"_Righteous!_" she shrieked, making Roxas jump.

"Aah!"

"Uh, sorry." She mumbled sheepishly.

"Anyway, I think Demyx wanted to say something else but he stopped himself."

"_He was probably dying to tell you how much Axel loved you and was going to ask you out and let you have his babies and_-"

"Sure he was."

"_Oh, come_ on_, Roxas! I thought we had passed the depressed 'he'll never like me in that way' stage ages ago._"

"Yeah, it's just," he sighed and began fiddling with his duvet cover, "it was supposed to be me who dumped Seifer, not the other way round. I got dumped by a guy I was only pretending to like in the first place, how sad is that?"

"_Oh sweet Jesus…_" Rikku muttered quietly. "_Roxas, does it really matter? All you should be thinking about is when Axel is going to ask you, okay?_"

"Uh huh," he mumbled pathetically.

"_And he_ is_ going to ask you. Full stop. Right?_"

"Sure…" he said unconvincingly.

"_Be more positive, Roxas! Show me that you're confident about this! Go on, shout it!_" she encouraged enthusiastically.

"Yes!" He sat bolt upright suddenly, making his head reel slightly.

"_That's more like it! …Yes, what?_"

"I've got someone else calling me!" He almost squealed in excitement and suspension.

"_Ohmygod!_" Rikku_ did_ squeal and the line went dead.

"Damn, I was going to put her on hold," he muttered, biting his lip nervously and pressing the accept call button.

"Hello?"

"_ROXAS! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?_"

Ah. Not who he was hoping it to be. Roxas settled back down onto his bed, his shoulders sagging and his head lolling back. "Hey, Hayner."

"_Don't you 'hey Hayner' me! Why didn't you tell me what Seifer said?_"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He really didn't feel like talking to Hayner right now, especially if he was just going to have a go at him. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"_Yeah, it's okay, but he's practically stalking me now! He tried to talk to me when me, Olette and Pence came out of last period and then he was there when I was doing my shift at Starbucks and I swear he winked at me._"

"Hayner, I think you're being paranoid." Roxas attempted to reassure his 'distressed' friend. "I would love to talk about this all night but I really have to go."

"_No! I need to know if he_-"

"Bye Hayner." He said stoically. Part of him wanted to know what Hayner was trying to say, but most of him didn't care. "I'll see you tomorrow." He then added, so as not to seem too harsh.

"_No, I need_-"

Roxas ignored Hayner's feeble protests and hung up. He stared at his wooden door numbly. He wasn't taking the view in, he didn't register that he was looking at it, he wasn't even thinking really. Just staring straight ahead of him, his mind as blank as it tends to get. His eyes jerked away from the door to somewhere on the ceiling as he fell back onto his pillows, emitting a whooshing sound. He wondered if he should call Rikku back but he didn't even feel like talking to her.

He had _known_ it was going to be Axel. He was sure it was going to be him. But it wasn't. He had been so excited. The butterflies had been fluttering around his stomach, his chest had been clenching in anticipation… he had just been so certain. Why hadn't it been Axel? He just felt so stupid right now. That would teach him to get his hopes up.

He rolled over on to his side, sliding his cold hands underneath his pillow. He could hear Sora and Riku in the next room. It wasn't something he particularly wanted to hear, ever. And now it seemed worse because it made him feel so much more alone, even though it meant that he knew that there were other people near by. In all honestly, it made him a little jealous. Sora had what he wanted. So did Demyx. So did Olette. So did Zexion. So did Pence. So did Riku. So did Tidus. So did Selphie. So did everyone else who was in a functioning relationship with someone they wanted to be with. People managed to get what they wanted all the time without any effort and Roxas had tried _so_ _hard_. He didn't know what else he could do. He really thought it was going to happen on Saturday, but now… he doubted it.

It was like every cliché love song he had ever heard. He hadn't been able to get Axel off his mind since he had met him. It hadn't been love at first sight or anything like that. He didn't know how to say or describe how he felt. All he knew what that-

"Arrggh!" He shot blot upright, looking around wildly. He relaxed when he realised that he was still alone. A scarily clear image of Rikku's face if she could see him moping around had popped into his mind and he _never_ wanted to see it again. She would be annoyed for him not ringing her back, he knew that, but he couldn't help it. She would want to know what Axel had said but, of course, Axel hadn't said _anything_ because it wasn't him who was ringing.

_Ding-dong. _

Shaking his head, Roxas heaved himself off the bed. He wasn't going to mope around anymore. He was going to go about as normal. He wasn't even going to think about Axel. He wasn't going to give him another second's thought. He was going to detach. Completely detach. If Axel did want him, it would happen and if he didn't… well, then, it wouldn't happen.

"Roxas? Can you get the door?" he heard Sora shout from his bedroom.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Can't you get it yourself?" He hadn't even noticed the doorbell ringing. Had Jess gone out or something? Probably. She'd probably gone to find out what Demyx was up to as he had informed her that he would be staying the night at Zexion's.

He could hear whispering coming from Sora's room and then a loud giggle. "He's busy." It was Riku who spoke this time.

Roxas pulled a face and mimed being sick. As much as he liked both Sora and Riku: that was an image he could have gone through life without having.

Grumbling, he slumped out of his bedroom and downstairs. He raised his eyebrows at the map and several pieces of paper laid out in an 'organised mess', as Jess would call it, on the kitchen table. He guessed it was something to do with Jess so he didn't take a closer look. Then he opened the door and stared. Blinked.

"Hey, Roxas." The tall redhead said. His hands were shoved deep into his jeans pockets, the left side of his mouth was turned up in a sort of half smile, half smirk.

Roxas couldn't really believe it was him. He mentally shook himself. '_Don't get too hopeful Roxas… He's probably here to see Demyx, not you. Why would he be here to see you? Don't be ridiculous.'_ God, he really did have low self-esteem. "Hey, Demyx isn't here at the moment." His throat felt strangely dry. He swallowed.

"I know." Axel smirked, leaning against the door frame.

Roxas frowned in confusion. "You know?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I do know."

"Well…" the blonde wasn't really sure what to say to that. "Why are you here then?" Oh god, he hoped that hadn't sounded too rude.

Axel snorted. "Why do you think I'm here?"

He swallowed again. His mouth was completely dry now and he found it very difficult to do even such a simple action. "I- I- I don't know…" He stammered. He looked away from the redhead as he laughed. It wasn't an unkind laugh, but it was a laugh nevertheless.

"You sure?"

Roxas couldn't reply at all this time so he just shrugged, attempted to look like he wasn't really bothered. He doubted it worked. He still didn't want to get his hopes up. He didn't want to be let down. He knew that Axel might just be playing with him.

The redhead snorted and shook his head, rubbing his jaw. "I'm here because I like you, Rox."

Roxas looked up, straight into his bright green eyes. "I know you like me, you wouldn't talk to me if you didn't." Damn, why had he said that?

"No, I mean I _like_ you. I really like you." He grinned.

Roxas wasn't sure how he could be so _relaxed_. Then again, it was probably really obvious that he liked him so he didn't have anything to he scared of. Then he realised: Axel had just told him that he liked him! '_Axel likes me… Axel like _me! Axel_ likes _me!' He felt the huge clenching feeling in his chest again. He felt like running outside, down the road, proclaiming to the world how happy he was right now. He felt like dancing. He was about to gush all this out to Axel, adding how much he like him too but then he realised something and frowned. "Axel. It's not raining."

Axel blinked at him. "What?"

"It's not raining." Roxas repeated. "You should have told me when it was raining. Do you have an _ounce_ of romantic feeling in you?"

Axel smirked. "I'll guess you'll just have to find out."

Roxas blinked: what the hell was he on about? Oh god, had this all been a big joke? Oh god, oh god, oh god, at least he hadn't said anything too stupid but oh my _god_… He was such an _idiot_. Okay, he just need to start laughing and it would all be fine- "Oh!" He almost leapt back in surprise as he felt Axel's lips softly brushing against his own. It took him a few seconds to take it in, then, just as the redhead began to pull move his head away, he pushed back against Axel's lips. He leant against him slightly, trying to get up to the redhead's height. He could feel Axel smiling and wrapping his arms around his waist, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He opened his mouth so their tongues could explore each other's mouths. Then, after just a few seconds, he pulled away.

He looked up at the grinning redhead and could help but smile back. "I guess I will have to find out."

"Sounds good to me." Axel decided, leaning down and capturing the blonde's lips again.

Roxas felt a drop of rain hit his nose and his grin widened. He couldn't have imagined it better than the way it had actually happened. Maybe it hadn't been amazing, but it was real. And that was what really mattered.

-x-X-x-

**Author's Note: **bahahahaha, I was just writing that last bit when Roxas is going on about it not raining and then Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake started playing on the radio and it made me laugh so much. I don't even really know why. God, I'm mad.

You know, this chapter took me so long. I completely changed the whole bit at the end with Axel and Roxas. But I like this version of it much better. :D

Did you guys like it? I hope so. Let me know in your reviews. And remember, only the epilogue to go know! Gosh, I think I will actually cry when I write the last author's note of this story; I love it so much! Ahhh.

Okay um, guys, I'm looking for a beta. I _really _need one. So, if anyone is interested, please let me know, okay? Goodo.

Anyhoo, make me oh so very happy and review, okay? Thank youuuuu!

Love, nirii xxx


	25. Epilogue

_-o-x-Epilogue-x-o-_

_Thirty-Seven days later_

Christmas vacation was drawing closer and the weather was definitely getting colder, but Roxas didn't feel it as bad as he usually did. Dazzling white snow fell quickly and thickly in the mornings, but the evening almost all of it would have turned to a dirty grey slush except in a few sacred places.

It had been five glorious weeks, two majestic days, eighteen wonderful hours and thirty seven sumptuous minutes since that fateful day Axel and Roxas had started dating. During this time, Hayner had started to become even more nervous whenever Seifer's name can up in conversation, Sora had finally gotten over his discomfort for showing his affection for Riku in public, Kairi had given up gambling, Pence had managed to accommodate the fact that it was true that one in five people were actually gay whether they chose to admit it or not, Demyx had crashed the janitor's trolley into an exam hall full of students sitting a Psychology exam - Zexion had pointed out that he might have, in fact, been quite useful had anyone sitting the exam been stuck for something to write about - and received two weeks worth of detentions, Olette had taken to quoting anything embarrassing someone would say that no one except the person it was intended for should hear, Axel had turned out to be the closest to perfect a boyfriend could be. Perfect for Roxas anyway. And Roxas, he had been positively buoyant.

Roxas grinned across the room at Demyx at the sound of him whining about Zexion eating the bigger slice of cake.

"Well, you did offer it to me." Zexion reasoned, pretending to be serious, a ghost of a smile gracing his features.

"Yeah, but you were supposed to politely refuse it and take the smaller slice. That's what you would have done in a _dream_." Demyx complained.

Zexion rolled his eyes and pretended to smack the sulking Demyx over the head. The blonde pouted before grinning and kissing Zexion brightly on the cheek as he whispered something in his ear. Roxas smiled blissfully.

"Hey, Hayner, "Axel called from behind Roxas, "has Seifer gotten into your pants yet?"

Roxas snorted and laughed as Hayner flushed an unflattering shade of puce and stammered that there was nothing going on between him and Seifer and that there never would be because he wasn't gay, oh no, not in the slightest.

"Yeah, sure." Axel said sarcastically, smirking widely.

"I do _not_ like Seifer." Hayner insisted through gritted teeth. "Every time I see him I just get the urge to-"

"Shove him up against the nearest wall and have your wicked way with him?" Riku suggested, a smirk growing on his face.

Most of the occupants of the room broke into fitful laughter - excluding Hayner, of course. Roxas thought that the poor guy must be getting a bit fed up with all these jokes about him and Seifer (okay, _really_ fed up) but, to be honest, they just couldn't get old.

"No!" Hay protested hotly. "I was _going_ to say that I-"

"Wanted him to shove _you_ up against the nearest wall and have his wicked way with you." Axel supplemented, grinning.

Hayner huffed and crossed his arms, clearly annoyed, but the laughter continued.

"I guess we know who would be the bottom in that relationship now." Pence commented laughing. This earned him a glare from the sulking Hayner.

"We've always know that Hayner's a bottom, "said Axel. "Where have you been, Pence?"

"He's a straight man, Axel," Roxas defended. "Forgive him."

Pence's face fell and everyone laughed, including Olette who pinched his cheek patronisingly.

Axel's warm breath tickled Roxas' pink cheek as he kissed it. Roxas smiled and laid his head back down on Axel's shoulder. The redhead shifted him slightly so his head was on his warm chest. Kairi and Olette 'awwed' and share a quick giggle.

"Oh my gosh, can we play Never Have I Ever?" Kairi squealed, pointing to the drinks cabinet excitedly and bouncing in her seat.

Zexion shook his head, "Wait 'till Selphie and Tidus get here." He grinned. "They always say the most interesting things and then end up getting into arguments about whether they have to drink or not."

Riku snorted. "Last time Tidus played he threw up on my Mom. I don't think she was too happy about it."

Kairi pouted, "Oh, come on guys! They can join in when they get here." She whined."Roxas, you want to play it, don't you?" She looked at him pleadingly.

"Why are you asking me? It's not my birthday for another few hours. He grinned at the thought of midnight. He would actually be legal. _Excellent._ "Besides, all I want to do is-"

"Get off with me." Axel finished, grinning widely.

Roxas snorted. "I wasn't going to say that but, hey, sounds good to me!" He laughed and leaned over to kiss him.

"Hey, as hot as you guys are, I don't think my Dad will appreciate walking in on you guys doing anything on the couch." Demyx said with a touch of logic.

"Yeah, you're right. Come on, Ax." Roxas grabbed the red-head's hand and pulled him out of the room, a whopping grin plastered on both their faces.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Hayner yelled after them, recovering from his 'depressed' state.

"And what does that mean? They both have permission to fuck Seifer anywhere at all?" Riku said, snickering.

Hayner went back to his corner, sulking.

Two figures watched the scene, one with amusement and delight and the other with confusion and worry.

"Seriously, Jess, what _happened_?" Cloud asked, bewildered and ever so slightly anxious. "At the funeral everything was normal - well, as normal as it gets - and it's only been, what, three months?"

Jess smirked. "That's what you get for going away on business trips, hun." She said sweetly. He would never go on one again, and if he did; he would ring at least five times a day for updates on what was going on.

"I guess…" he mumbled. "So… what _did_ happen?"

"Girls." She replied simply. "That's what happened."

"Don't you mean _boys_?" he chocked on his laughter. "Or _boyfriends_ for that matter…"

"Nope." She patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "Definitely girlfriends."

-x-X-x-

**Author's Note: **Oh. My. God. I didn't want to finish this story. I wanted it go on forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and- yeah, you get the picture. I'm sorry for how short this is, by the way. But, you know what they say: keep it short and sweet. :3

I just want to say thank you to EVERYONE that reviewed or put this story on alert or their favourites. Also, I want to say thank you to any people who are reading but not reviewing, because you guys rock too! Thank you so, so, so much for all the support I've got from you guys. There were some moments when I was like "meh, i can't be asked to write this any more." but then I thought of you lot wanting this to be updated and I thought "hey, I can't just leave them hanging like that!" so, yeah, it feels really good to have completed it, I have to admit.

Anyhoo, if there are any of you screaming at me, saying something along the lines of, "DAMN YOU! WHY ARE YOU ENDING IT? YOU STUPID WOMAN!" or such like, then, please, look on my profile and see if you can find something new you can read and (hopefully) like as much as this. :D

You know what would be great? If this story could get 200 reviews. hahahaha.

I bid you adieu, mi amigo. (I really shouldn't mix languages like that...)

nirii xxx


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